KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — The Malaysian government was represented at the Friday prayers held at Hagley Park South in Christchurch today, a week after a terrorist attack on two mosques in the New Zealand city that left 50 dead and scores of others injured.
The Malaysian representative at the prayers was Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa who left for Christchurch yesterday.
Mujahid posted on his official Facebook account today that he had met New Zealand government representatives and the Malaysian High Commissioner to New Zealand Nur Izzah Wong Mee Choo as well as several Malaysians living in Christchurch.
Mujahid thanked the New Zealand government for showing great concern and extending much help to the affected people.
Malaysian Muhammad Haziq Mohd Tarmizi, 17, was among the 50 people killed in the March 15 attack on the mosques by a white supremacist gunman. Muhammad Haziq’s father, Mohd Tarmizi Shuib, 42, and two other Malaysians, Muhammad Nazril Hisham Omar and Rahimi Ahmad, were injured in the massacre.
Mujahid, in an interview with Astro Awani, said the people should take a lesson from incidents.
“Today, many New Zealand women wore scarves as a sign of solidarity with Muslims and the families of the victims (of the tragedy),” he said.
He also said that the azan (call to prayer) was sounded throughout the country today as a sign of respect for the victims.
Astro Awani reported that, for the first time, the azan for the Friday prayers today was carried ‘live’ over the broadcast media in New Zealand.
Observers at the Friday prayers at Hagley Park South remained silent for the duration of the azan by Imam Lateef. — Bernama
