On the evening of 4th January, a group of Palestinians who were staying at the Wisma Transit in Kuala Lumpur carried out vandalism at the facility. At least 127 Palestinians, including 41 injured, had arrived in Malaysia for medical treatment in August 2024. Malaysian authorities welcomed them with open arms on ‘humanitarian grounds.’
The group of Palestinians damaged the property of the facility and set bedsheets on fire on Saturday. They wanted their visa processing to be sped up for return to Gaza. The Palestinians have been frustrated since October 2024 following Malaysian authorities placed them in the transit centre and restricted their movement.
On Sunday, the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) said in a statement, “Armed Forces officers and personnel on duty there held discussions with the Palestinians involved. The matter was then resolved without any argument and injuries.” In the visuals that got viral on social media, a large broken vase could be seen outside the Wisma Transit building. Palestinians had also set bedsheets on fire.
The Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali apologised to the Malaysian authorities after the incident. 41 Palestinians were being treated at the Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital while 86 others were housed at the Wisma Transit.
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