Palestinian refugees hold protest seeking faster return to Egypt

Summary

• A recent protest at Wisma Transit involves Palestinians seeking to expedite their return to Egypt, with minor furniture damage reported but no injuries.

• Videos show individuals, including women and children, holding a placard reading "No to deportation, we need to return to Egypt" and a potted plant being thrown near a fire pit.

Several Palestinian refugees held a protest at Wisma Transit in Kuala Lumpur, reportedly arising from their desire to expedite the processing of applications to return to Egypt.

In a media statement today, the Malaysian Armed Forces confirmed that the incident occurred at approximately 5pm on Saturday (Jan 4).

"The officers and personnel on duty engaged in discussions with those involved, and the situation was brought under control without any physical altercations or injuries.

“However, there was minor damage to the furniture at the transit centre," the statement read.

The armed forces also noted that the individuals dispersed at around 7.30pm the same day.

Two videos linked to the incident depict the protest involving men, women, and children.

In one video, filmed inside a building, a woman is seen holding a placard that reads: "No to deportation, we need to return to Egypt," while two uniformed personnel stand near a broken potted plant.

The second video, filmed outside, shows individuals - men, women, and children - wandering near a small fire pit, with a potted plant seen being thrown by someone.

In October last year, a similar incident was reported at the same premises involving two Palestinian women. They had reacted emotionally out of frustration over restrictions on leaving the centre freely due to safety concerns.

One of the women later apologised, explaining that she was grieving the loss of three of her children and was distressed over her inability to contact her other children who remained in Gaza.

In August last year, two Malaysian A-400M aircraft arrived at Subang Air Base, carrying 41 injured Palestinians and 86 relatives, departing from Cairo.

This was part of Malaysia's efforts to assist Palestinians affected by the ongoing Israeli conflict.

Envoy expressed regret

The Palestinian ambassador to Malaysia, Walid Abu Ali, expressed deep regret over the recent incident, stressing that such actions do not align with Palestinian culture and ethics.

He assured that the Malaysian government and the embassy are fully committed to addressing the issue and offering support to those affected.

“The issue is under discussion with the Malaysian authorities. I am truly saddened by what happened.

“This is not our ethics and goes against our culture. The government of Malaysia and the Palestinian embassy are doing our best to help,” he told Bernama.

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