MELAKA: Malaysia will continue to support the Palestinian people's struggle despite a bomb threat at a shopping mall in Johor Bahru over the weekend, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Sunday (Oct 15).
He said the government was always on the alert for any threats, but at the same time, advised people not to worry.
"The police have stated that it was a deliberate threat, we just need to be vigilant and not worry," said the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) president on the sidelines of a local event.
Hundreds of shoppers and employees were evacuated from the Mid Valley Southkey mall in Johor Bahru on Saturday evening after a “security threat” was made via an anonymous phone call.
The management of the mall and nearby St Giles Hotel said the call was made at about 6.30pm and local authorities had instructed that the affected areas be evacuated as a “proactive measure”.
The fire department and the police investigated the threat and completed a thorough search of the area. They found "no evidence of threats", said the mall in an update on Facebook at about 12.30am on Sunday.
"The police have stated that it was a deliberate threat, we just need to be vigilant and not worry," said the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) president on the sidelines of a local event.
Footage of the incident shared on social media showed crowds of people rushing out of the building, urged on by the fire department. There were groups of families, many with young children.
Crowds lined both sides of Persiaran Southkey 1 as they waited for the all-clear to return, as many still had their vehicles parked inside the building. Some reported waiting for several hours.
Johor Bahru Selatan district police chief Raub Selamat said the anonymous caller had claimed to be a foreigner, reported Malaysiakini. The caller claimed that he wanted to place a bomb in the area of the mall, and he asked “to not show support for Palestine”.
Raub spoke to members of the media while security operations were ongoing on Saturday night. His comments were also carried by Sinar Harian, a Malay-language publication.
MALAYSIA TO CONTINUE RELATIONSHIP WITH HAMAS: ANWAR
Separately, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Monday that Malaysia does not agree with Western pressure to condemn Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Western and European countries have repeatedly asked Malaysia to condemn Hamas in meetings, Anwar said, without providing details.
"I said that we, as a policy, have a relationship with Hamas from before and this will continue," Anwar told parliament.
"As such, we don't agree with their pressuring attitude, as Hamas too won in Gaza freely through elections and Gazans chose them to lead."
Muslim-majority Malaysia has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause and has advocated for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It does not have a diplomatic relation with Israel.
Top Hamas leaders in the past have visited Malaysia and met with its leaders. Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak in 2013 defied Israel's blockade on Gaza, crossing into the Palestinian enclave following an invitation from Hamas.
More than a million people have fled their homes in Gaza as Israel continued its bombardment of the Hamas-ruled territory on Monday, massing troops in preparation for what appeared to be a full-blown ground invasion.
Israel declared war on the militant group a day after waves of its fighters broke through the heavily fortified border on Oct 7 - shooting, stabbing and burning to death more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asi...outhkey-malaysia-support-palestinians-3849316
