PARIS, March 19 — The government, especially through the Foreign Ministry, has taken necessary steps to assist Malaysians who are the victims of mass shootings which took place at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said immediately after the news of the tragedy was published, the Foreign Ministry, via its Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah issued a statement to assist the families of the victims.
“The ministry’s deputy secretary-general (Datuk Nadzirah Osman) has also travelled to New Zealand to provide assistance to the families of the victims there.
“So don’t simply state that the government hasn’t done anything because the government and the foreign ministry have done what’s necessary to help our people there,” she told Bernama and RTM here today.
She was asked to comment on the report of a Malaysian English daily yesterday which reported the disappointment of family members of the tragedy over the lack of assistance from Malaysian authorities in the country.
Dr Wan Azizah stated that she had the opportunity to contact family members to the two victims, Prof Dr Zurinawati Mohyi and Noor Azila Abd Wahid.
She said Zurinawati, the wife of Mohd Nazril Hisham Omar and Noor Azila, the wife of Rahimi Ahmad, had informed her that their husbands were in stable condition after undergoing surgery.
“I understand that another injured victim, Mohd Tarmizi Shuib is also in stable condition, but we still haven’t heard about his 17-year-old son who is still missing, we hope he will be found safe,” she said.
At the same press conference, Dr Wan Azizah, who chaired the Unesco’s Management of Social Transformation (MOST) meeting, also expressed her satisfaction with how the meeting was carried out and thanked all member countries involved for their commitment.
“Unesco’s Ethics,Youth and Sport division director Angela Melo, during the meeting also expressed her appreciation to Malaysia as an exemplary country for its contribution and leadership in MOST, especially as MOST president for the 2017-2019 term,” she said.
That apart, Dr Wan Azizah, who is in her five-day working visit in France beginning Sunday, will chair also the 14th Session of the Intergovernmental Council (IGC) of MOST which will be held today and tomorrow at the Unesco headquarters building here. — Bernama
