Compassion, not Islam, the reason to accept Syrians

Reezal says Federal Government decision arose out of humanitarian reasons.

GEORGE TOWN: Humanitarian reasons and not Islam lay behind the Federal Government’s decision to accept some 3,000 Syrian refugees, said deputy foreign minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican today.

He said the Federal Government acted out of compassion and in a genuine effort to help a community that had become victims of extremists and suffering from hunger and poverty.

Reezal Merican said Syrians had been suffering war and hunger for years in their homeland, forcing many to migrate to European countries seeking asylum.

He said Malaysia’s noble effort to open its doors to the Syrians would also encourage regional countries to help each other on humanitarian grounds.

Malaysia is the first South-East Asian country, and among the few Muslim-majority countries, to accept Syrian refugees.

Reezal Merican praised New Zealand for accepting refugees from war-torn Arab nations despite its location in the Pacific, and its different cultural background and atmosphere.

Malaysia’s decision to accept Syrian refugees was announced by Prime Minister Najib Razak at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. He said would accept 3,000 Syrians over the next three years.