KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — Kepung Demi Palestin’s five-day picket enters its fifth day and a supporter of the cause, Cikgu Chin made it just in time for the finale tonight.
She had hopped on a midnight bus from Kedah to make her way to Jalan Tun Razak — in the vicinity of the US Embassy — where the picket is stationed.
“I just wanted to support the organisers in any way I could, and that is to be here in person. I know that we can’t do much as ordinary Malaysians, but being here, I hope to show more people that what is happening in Gaza is not right,” the retired teacher who only wanted to be known as Cikgu Chin told Malay Mail when met here.
The 60-year-old said in a way she could relate to what was happening in Gaza, Palestine with regards to land ownership, as she too was facing a similar problem from where she hailed — Kedah.
“My problem is nowhere as severe compared to the Palestinians, but I feel deeply for them, it feels somewhat similar as I’m facing difficulties in claiming what belongs to my family,” she said.
As the five-day picket entered its fifth day, last night saw both Malaysians and Palestinians share their direct and indirect encounter with the conflict between Palestine and Israel.
An eight-year-old Palestinian boy was among those who shared how he had lost all of his relatives in Palestine in this war.
“I would like to tell a story today, about my mum and me [back then]. I heard bombings from outside, and I asked my mum, what is this?
“She told me she didn’t know, and when we went out to see what was happening, we saw all of the people outside had fallen to the ground.
“My mum had then said, let’s go and help them. I asked her, how can we help them? She said with food and water. But when we got back to our house, we saw that it had already been hit by a bomb, and my brother was on the ground, my mum started crying,” the eight-year-old boy who is only known as Khaled, who now lives with his family here in Kuala Lumpur, said.
A Palestinian university student only known as Heba, also related how her relative’s safety was at high risk all the time in Palestine, as long as the war still went on.
“Each time when I am in contact with my cousin, I don’t know what to ask her. I could ask her ‘how are you’ and she would say that she is okay but she is not fine.
“The situation is really bad there right now. Imagine doctors who need to conduct amputation without anaesthesia. That is just one of the scenarios that is ongoing right now,” Heba said.
She had also conveyed her wish that those who were listening to her would continue to share what is happening in Gaza, and Palestine and that it should not become a normalised situation.
“My request to every one of you here tonight, is to please keep on sharing about what is happening because the world is starting to normalise what is happening. We never normalise,” she said.
Obstetrician and gynaecologist consultant Dr Fauziah Mohd Hassan was among those present at the gathering last night she came in her scrubs — protective garment designed worn by doctors, nurses and others in the operating room.
“I have spoken before this, but tonight I’m here in my operation suit. I want to show my solidarity with the doctors and nurses who have been killed by the Zionists and how they have destroyed the healthcare system in Gaza, and have used this destruction of the healthcare system as a weapon of war.
“I was told... that there are 60,000 wounded Palestinians but only 1,000 have been able to be brought out for treatment to Tunisia, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey. We hope that Malaysia too can take some of the wounded so that we can treat them here,” Dr Fauziah said.
She said there are currently 50,000 pregnant women in Gaza with 180 deliveries per day.
“Can you just imagine delivering in tents? There is no water, no electricity, no cooked food or rather no food even,” she said.
Sekretariat Solidarity Palestin spokesman Chua Tian Chang said the picket has been able to convey the scenario in Gaza right now and has managed to generate intense attention among the public and the media.
“The five-day picket isn’t like the demonstrations in the past where there are intervals in between — one demonstration this Friday and another next Friday — but in between another 2,000 deaths.
“And we also picked the final days [of the year], we all know in Bethlehem they cancelled Christmas [celebrations], and many countries in Europe also cancelled their celebrations in solidarity with Gaza. So we started on the 26th until the New Year, symbolically we also hope that next year will bring a better future for Palestine.
“It has shown the solidarity among Malaysians. This is one issue that united the people, every political party expressed the same sentiment,” Chua said adding that the cause wishes to also break the monolithic idea that Palestine is a Muslim issue only.
“So we managed to bring together multiracial participation,” he added.
Pejuang president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir said the party has been supporting the cause of solidarity with Palestine no matter who organised it.
“We just have to be here, it’s such an important issue,” he said when met.
