THE Orang Asli community in this district has expressed support for Palestine and their opposition to the violence and war that followed the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Kelantan Orang Asli chief penghulu Bidi Ronggeng said they know what is happening and hope a ceasefire can happen as soon as possible.

He said the over 16,000 Orang Asli in Gua Musang from various religions and tribes are unanimous in their opinion that attacks on civilians, including women and children, must be stopped.

“I came to the solidarity programme today to represent the Orang Asli community in this district comprising the Temiar, Bateq and Mendriq tribes as a show of support for Palestine, especially Gaza, which is currently heavily attacked by Israel.

“Indeed, we come from various religions but humanity remains in every Orang Asli community. Those in the interior can also see for themselves the atrocities committed by the Zionist regime that targets children and women through social media,” he said when met by reporters at the Palestine Solidarity Rally from Galas to Gaza at the Dataran Kesedar Putra, in Gua Musang today.

“Not many Orang Asli are present today because of transportation and living in the interior makes it inconvenient to travel but 20 of us are here to represent the entire Orang Asli community in Gua Musang,” he said.

“Watching videos on social media can make us relate to the hardship and sadness of the Palestinians in Gaza. We, Orang Asli don’t like violence and hope it can be stopped,” he said.

Meanwhile, Galas assemblyman Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim said the programme organised by the Galas Assemblyman Service Centre received the support of over 1,000 participants inside and outside the district.

He said a donation fund was also launched to achieve the country’s target to raise at least RM100 million to be sent to Gaza.

“The Orang Asli, Chinese and Indian communities expressed their solidarity with the Palestinians and this is what it is all about. The Palestine issue is not a religious issue or a race issue but a humanitarian issue that various parties should support.

“As the (invited) Palestinian representative said earlier, not many Muslim countries have the courage to come forward to express their position, so I am proud of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who can be considered a bold Islamic leader in the world,” he said. – Bernama, November 3, 2023.