A group of Palestinians, who were staying at the Wisma Transit in Kuala Lumpur, carried out vandalism at the facility on Saturday (4th January) evening.
About 127 Palestinians, including 41 injured, had arrived in Malaysia for medical treatment in August last year. Malaysian authorities welcomed them with open arms on ‘humanitarian grounds.’
On Saturday, the group of Palestinians damaged the property of the facility and set bedsheets on fire. They reportedly wanted their visa processing to be sped up for return to Gaza.
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
Reportedly, the Palestinians have been frustrated since October 2024 after Malaysian authorities placed them in the transit centre and restricted their movement.
On Sunday (5th January), 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 visuals that have surfaced on social media, a large broken vase could be seen outside the Wisma Transit building. Palestinians had also set bedsheets on fire.
Following the incident, the Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia Walid Abu Ali apologised to the Malaysian authorities.
41 Palestinians were being treated at the Tuanku Mizan Armed Forces Hospital while 86 others were housed at the Wisma Transit.
