Press Release

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

DATO’ SAIFUDDIN ABDULLAH,

ON THE SHOOTING INCIDENT IN CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

As of 3.00pm today, it is confirmed that three Malaysians are injured in the shooting incident targeting two mosques in Christchurch yesterday. All of them are currently being treated at the hospital. One Malaysian is still missing and effort to locate the person is ongoing.

Two officials from the High Commission of Malaysia in Wellington are currently in Christchurch while the Deputy Secretary General (Multilateral Affairs), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be traveling this evening to provide assistance and support to the victims and their families.

I have today spoken to the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of New Zealand, Winston Peters, to convey my condolences to the Government of New Zealand and its people as well as to the families and friends of the victims. I also thanked the Government of New Zealand for the swift action in restoring order in the affected areas and in facilitating the medical treatment for the victims.

Both the Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and myself have conveyed condolence messages to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters respectively on 15 March 2019.

Meanwhile, Senator Fraser Anning’s statement which blamed the deadly terrorist attacks yesterday, on Muslim fanatics; New Zealand’s migration policy; and the religion of Islam in general, is abhorrent and morally repugnant.

His statements denies the reality that the shooting in Christchurch was a terrorist act against innocent Muslim community in their sacred place of worship; that the perpetrators belonged to an extremist, right-wing political organisation; that the shooting was wholly unprovoked and unjustified; and that it was fundamentally a murderous crime motivated by fanaticism and extreme hatred of migrant Muslims.

Although Senator Anning’s statement does not reflect the views of the Government of Australia, I am very concerned that the irresponsible and callous statement, which likens Islam as a 6th century despotic regime of endless wars, could provoke more hate crimes against Muslims worldwide.

In this dark hour of evil and hatred against humanity, Malaysia stands alongside Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her government in condemning all violent acts of terrorism, and leading the way for sustainable peace and harmony between human beings, through rational dialogue, intelligent discourse and peaceful integration between people of different race, religion and country of origins.

PUTRAJAYA

16 March 2019