THREE months after two Palestinian women housed at Wisma Transit in Kuala Lumpur ran amok by throwing slippers at law enforcement officers, damaging property and hurling obscenities after being denied access to accommodation outside of the facility, another protest recurred over the weekend – this time in a much more intense and large-scale manner.
In the latest episode, video clips of a group of Palestinians burning unidentified items, wringing the facility’s gates, having women and children holding up placards and standing by the fence, refusing to eat and throwing away food has surfaced over the weekend on social media.
These refugees are agitating to gain public attention to demand a quick return to Palestine, according to a statement by the Malaysian Armed forces.
As a rule, goodwill and compassion should be met with gratitude and appreciation. However, this has not been the case with our experience with the Palestinian refugees, perhaps because there might not have been any genuine goodwill or compassion in our exchange with them.
Considering their antics, it is doubtful if the Palestinians housed at Wisma Transit even cherished the help extended by the Madani government to them.
For all you know, it might be the case that our government had merely brought these Palestinian refugees to Malaysia to prove to Malaysians – or perhaps the world – that they are a compassionate and righteous government ever willing to help others who face difficulties and injustice.
PR exercise turns awry?
The problem with this sort of public relation (PR) stunts where we craft an image of being compassionate or righteous without having such real intention can be devastating.
We do not know what is going on in their heart and mind because we must truly have a compassionate heart to know the state of heart and mind of someone who is suffering.
That the Palestinians are asking to be returned to a warzone rather than remain in our country, should make our Madani government ask itself whether cosmetic compassion that is less than skin deep is in play with regard to its engagement with the Palestinian refugees.
It is never the case that a person who is suffering does not appreciate the assistance that comes from a heart that is truly moved by compassion.
A thirsty person will always appreciate a glass of water given to them by a heart that was moved by their thirst. A hungry person will always appreciate the food given to them by a heart that can feel the pangs of their hunger.
A person who is suffering from abuse and injustice will always appreciate the action of someone who speaks out or fights against their abuse or injustice as a matter of principle.
That the Palestinian refugees in our country are not only unmoved by the “compassion” of our government but are actually protesting against our gesture is a clear sign that our government should start asking some difficult questions to itself.
If there is truly some limits to our compassion, it is better to admit it rather than pretend that we are something that we are not and promise them more than we can deliver – merely for the pathetic purpose of making ourselves and the rest of the world believe that we are better than who actually are.
WARGA PALESTIN DI PUSAT TRANSIT KL BUAT RUSUHAN. BANYAK BARANG DI ROSAKAN DAN DI BAKAR pic.twitter.com/G4fJqfGFb3
— MALAYSIA MOST VIRAL (@MALAYSIAVIRALLL) January 4, 2025
There is a saying. “If you can’t help, at least don’t hurt”. Palestinians have already seen the brutality of their enemies. Do we really have to subject them to the hypocrisy and insincerity of their well-wishers, too?
We must re-think our approach and intentions towards not only the Palestinian refugees but refugees from the rest of the world as well.
Those who have seen the horrors of the world can only hope on the sincerity of their well- wishers to redeem their opinion of the world.
If we can only light a candle in the overwhelming darkness in their life, let us at least do that with sincerity rather than promise them the sun which will only snuff their flicker of hope that there are still good and sincere people remaining in the world from their heart. – Jan 6, 2025
Nehru Sathiamoorthy is a roving tutor who loves politics, philosophy and psychology.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: @bckupacc99/X
