KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian NGOs have demanded Palestinian Ambassador Walid Abu Ali apologize for his claim that donations they had collected to help restore Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem had gone missing.
NGOs are worried that public trust will be affected by the envoy’s “generalization and the grave accusation reported in the media,” Hafidzi Mohammed Noor, chairman of MyCARE, told Arab News on Friday.
Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the ambassador on Thursday over his claim two days earlier that donations intended for restoration work on Al-Aqsa Mosque “have been unaccounted for.”
“According to the Palestinian ambassador, his statement was based on records by the management of the Al-Aqsa Mosque since 2018. However, he could not confirm whether the donations were specifically to be channeled to Al-Aqsa Mosque Wakaf Department, which is managed by the Jordanian government,” the ministry said in a statement after Thursday’s meeting.
The ministry also expressed its appreciation for Malaysian NGOs’ efforts to help Palestinians.
HIGHLIGHT
Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the ambassador on Thursday over his claim two days earlier.
“Malaysia will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Palestinian territories in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, as well as the Gaza Strip,” the statement read.
“We never channel our donations (directly) to Al-Aqsa Mosque because the mosque is under the stewardship of the Jordanian government, and it is well maintained by them,” said Faisal Aziz, president of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM), which along with MyCARE was among the organizations that demanded that the envoy publicly apologize for his claim.
“All registered NGOs in Malaysia are monitored and have their financial reports audited,” Aziz told Arab News on Friday, adding that ABIM has been transparent with the money donated by Malaysian people.
All donations are transferred directly to local Palestinian NGOs, Aziz said.
A meeting between the Malaysian NGOs and the ministry is scheduled for next week.
The Palestinian ambassador was unavailable for comment when contacted by Arab News.
