Palestinian group causes commotion in KL transit facility, 2 women to be sent back to Gaza

The woman involved has since apologised, saying she was in distress as she could not contact her children in Gaza.

By

Tan Min-Wei

October 08, 2024, 06:26 PM

Two Palestinian women at the centre of a commotion in the lobby of a Kuala Lumpur transit facility will be returned to Gaza.

Footwear thrown, vases destroyed, and much shouting

The Star reports that on Oct. 2, a commotion involving a group of Palestinians resulted in footwear being thrown, angry shouting, as well as a large vase being destroyed.

Videos uploaded to social media show some of the group angrily storming through the lobby of Wisma Transit KL (WTKL), shouting and arguing loudly with people who appeared to be uniformed personnel, as well as kicking over a child's walker.

KEKECOHAN DAN AMUKAN WARGA PALESTIN DI WISMA TRANSIT KUALA LUMPUR*

Pada 02 Okt 24 jam lebih kurang jam 1815, terdapat beberapa Warga Palestin yang menginap di Wisma Transit Kuala Lumpur telah membuat kekecohan dan amukan atas dasar tidakkepuasan hati. pic.twitter.com/43H9JSq48u
— #UpdateInfo🇲🇾🌍 (@update11111) October 3, 2024

Another showed a group of three adults and several small children occupying part of the lobby, with some shouting angrily in the direction of the camera person while stamping their feet.

A third video shows a large vase of flowers shattered on the floor, next to the table that presumably housed it.

Not allowed to stay outside

A statement released by the Malaysian Armed Forces, as reported by The Star, gave an explanation for what occurred.

The statement said that it was believed "that there were some Palestinians who were unhappy", mainly because enforcement officers "did not allow one of them to stay outside".

The person had then "caused a commotion" in front of the facility's guard station, along with several of their friends and family.

When an officer on duty attempted to get them to leave the area, they instead entered WTKL's main lobby, "caused a commotion" and broke several decorations, including a case, and in one case, allegedly threw a slipper at an officer.

There were representatives from the Palestinian Embassy who were present and had tried to stop the unrest but failed to do so.

Medical help and solidarity

The Palestinians in question were part of a group of 127 who were brought to Malaysia from Cairo, Egypt by Malaysia in August 2024 to provide medical treatment for 41 of them, with the remainder being their relatives.

The move was to show solidarity with the people of Palestine, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim being a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause.

Those receiving medical treatment could not be treated in Gaza due to ongoing military operations by Israel's military.

But Anwar's move did not meet with universal praise, despite ongoing support for the Palestinian cause.

Criticism of Anwar's decision to offer medical treatment for the Palestinian group was serious enough that Anwar felt compelled to defend his actions a few weeks later.

Regret and hospitality

Some of the Palestinians, particularly those involved in the commotion, are being housed at WTKL.

WTKL is described by The Star as a "hospitality complex" that offers hotel-style accommodation.

It is meant for Malaysian military personnel, including civilian staff members of the Malaysian Ministry of Defence, and their families who are in transit, such as to East Malaysia.

The Palestinians were being housed in WTKL and were not allowed to leave the premises as they were technically in transit.

MalaysiaKini reports that a woman involved in the fracas has since apologised and "expressed regret" for her actions.

She said that she, as well as the other Palestinians, were being treated well in Malaysia, with "kindness, respect, and appreciation".

She said that she was still grieving the deaths of three of her children, and had become distressed at losing contact with her other children who were still in Gaza.

Sent home as a lesson to others

Palestine's Ambassador to Malaysia also condemned the incident, and said it did not reflect "the conduct of Palestinians in general".

The New Straits Times reported the ambassador met with representatives of the Defence Ministry, saying afterwards that two women involved in the commotion would be sent back to Gaza.

He was quoted as saying that those Palestinians in Malaysia who were not happy "can go back to where they came from", and that sending the two women back "should serve as a lesson to others".

He urged them to "appreciate what the Malaysian government is doing to help them", and respect Malaysia's laws while they are in Malaysia.

He also apologised on behalf of the Palestinian community, but also asked for Malaysian's understanding, and that the Palestinians who had come to Malaysia for medical treatment had undergone "unprecedented struggle, both emotionally and physically" because of Israel's actions.

Social media reaction was mixed, with some urging understanding, but many responses to the videos being harsh, verging on vitriolic.