بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Najib's Syrian refugee promise to cover up Malaysia's scandals, Islamist group claims
By Zurairi AR, The Malay Mail Online
SERI KEMBANGAN, Oct 3 - International hardline Islamist group Hizbut Tahrir (HT) questioned today Putrajaya's motive to take in 3,000 Syrian refugees, claiming the government has refused to address the root cause of the crisis that has displaced thousands of Muslims worldwide.
The group alleged that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's announcement at the 70th United Nations General Assembly in New York yesterday was only to repair his global reputation dented from the scandals facing his debt-laden brainchild, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
"The PM, I don't know his motive or his goal, it may be part of public relations. He wants to maybe beautify his image among the public local opinion [sic].
"And maybe that can help him cover some corruption charges and so on, the scandal that he has to face," HT's international spokesman Osman Bakhash told reporters at the sidelines of the group's Muktamar Khilafah "Caliphate" 2015, a congress on establishing a caliphate.
"This is far from what Islam mandates. The Islamic duty is that people in Malaysia, Muslims must unite in eliminating the root cause of this refugee crisis," he added.
According to Bakhash, the only way to address this root cause is by deposing Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, which he claimed is backed by the United States and Western powers.
Dr Mohammad Malkawi, an activist with the US chapter of HT, said Syria would be worse off for its citizens fleeing their homeland in the first place.
"We will not say, thank you PM Najib for receiving the 3,000 refugees... That is not our policy," said Malkawi, who is Jordan-born.
"You shouldn't receive refugees, you should go and eliminate that regime that causes people to flee the country and restore stability there. And then let the people in Syria decide what they want."
Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Putrajaya has not finalised the details of Najib's offer to accept 3,000 Syrian refugees.
He clarified that Malaysia has not received the refugees, but said that Najib's offer made at the United Nations General Assembly has been accepted.
Roughly four million Syrians have become refugees in their neighbouring countries since a civil war broke out there in 2011.
(Source: The Malay Mail Online, October 3, 2015)