BATU PAHAT – Dr Mohamad Darwish, a Palestinian, is desperately praying for the safety of his parents in Gaza, after having lost touch with them and not hearing from them for a week.
The 36-year-old said the last time they communicated was last week, and that electricity has been cut off since, so there is no way for him to accertain their current situation.
He described the Zionist regime’s current assault as the worst one yet, having wrought destruction on various basic amenities that ordinary Gazans depend on.
“Previously, even though there has been attacks, we never lost contact and could still find out how things were over there but this time it’s different, it’s been a week since I’ve heard from them at all.
“I’m so worried, but my friends here, including Malaysians are trying their best to cheer me up,” he told Benrama when met at the Solidarity with Palestine gathering in Batu Pahat Stadium, here today.
The father of four said he really relied on the support shown by Malaysians, who have accepted Palestinians as their own.
“I’m so thankful to the Malaysian government and the people here who have supported us for so long,” the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) lecturer said.
Meanwhile, Aman Palestin Batu Pahat branch manager Mohamad Shahrulnizam Noor Mohd Ali said the gathering was the first held in Johor and the second in the country by Aman Palestin, with the cooperation of the Palestinian Cultural Organisation of Malaysia (PCOM), after the first was held in Kuala Lumpur.
“Alhamdulillah, we managed to bring together about 1,500 Batu Pahat residents today and held a demonstration against Israel’s aggression, and held a donation drive for aid for the Palestinian people,” he said.
The gathering was attended by Sri Gading MP Aminolhuda Hassan, Penggaram assemblyman Gan Peck Cheng, and Parit Sulong Umno Division Youth chief Dr Aswad Ithnin. – October 20, 2023