PUTRAJAYA: The government has offered scholarships for Palestinian students to pursue bachelor, masters, and PhD courses at 12 Malaysian universities.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in announcing this said the scholarships worth RM11.47 million would be channeled through the Palestinian Cultural Organisation Malaysia.
"To all Palestinian students who are selected, congratulations and all the best in your studies," said the prime minister at the 9th grand Iftar programme with the Palestinian community.
Also present was the prime minister's wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali and several cabinet ministers.
The 12 universities include the AlBukhary International University, Management and Science University, Mahsa University, and Sunway University.
Dr Mahathir known for his firebrand remarks continued to do so regarding the Palestinian plight.
He warned that so long as the Palestinians were denied justice, the Middle-East would forever be in conflict, giving birth to terrorism and militancy, and this in turn would spread to the rest of the world.
"The terrorism and militancy are direct results of the State terrorism committed by Israel, a matter conveniently ignored or brushed aside by the powerful Western nations.
" Not only do they ignore it, they even provide weapons and legitimacy for the Israeli regime to commit genocidal acts and crimes of aggression and against humanity.
"That is the truth, an inconvenient truth to the nations that protect, support and legitimise Israel," said Dr Mahathir, adding there was nothing ambiguous or vague about the plight of the Palestinians.
"It is a story about a once free people who have lost their land forcibly through a brutal occupation and was committed blatantly for the whole world to see."
The persecution ranged from apartheid, genocide, terrorism, killings, murders to land grab and these crimes, Dr Mahathir said, were still being pursued by the Israelis.
He said any attempt by any nation to raise issue with it would result in them being labeled as being anti-Semitic, a strong reason for the Western countries to impose sanctions and other punitive measures on those who speak up against Israel.
"Today too, the very nations that created the monstrosity called Israel, are still up to their mischief, rewarding Israel with Jerusalem by declaring it Israel’s capital."
Nations that insisted on being the defenders of human rights seemed helpless or intentionally being oblivious to Israel’s murderous rampage and remain silent over widespread believe of Israel’s nuclear arsenal and weapons of mass destruction, he said.
"Therefore, standing up for Palestine is a moral obligation and Malaysia will continue to condemn Israel for its aggression and cruelties on Palestinians."
Dr Mahathir also reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to the Palestinian cause.
"We have and will always stand by you. And we will not keep quiet for as long as we see the atrocities and injustices committed by the Israeli regime," he said.