Due to Covid-19, Palestinians in M'sia mark Land Day online

CORONAVIRUS | Following the movement control order (MCO) until April 14, the Palestinian community in Malaysia marks the 44th anniversary of Land Day in a more unique way – through digital activities on social media.

Abu Ahmad, a member of the Palestinian community, told Bernama that this year's open activities were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For this year, Palestinians in Malaysia posted information about Land Day on Facebook and Instagram, and the community has also created Facebook groups to interact more about Land Day through online activities, he said. 

"We usually hold an event to mark Palestinian Land Day that includes speech, poetry, and cultural practices," he said. 

Palestinians in Malaysia, like others in the diaspora, mark the day on March 30 and hold events and gatherings to keep alive the connection with their land and their identity as Palestinians.

"During Land Day celebrations, we invite all Palestinians (here) to strengthen the national connection with our land and identity, connect with more Malaysian people and engage in the community,” he added.

A Palestinian mother who attended Land Day’s event last year said: “This time, we are recording our kids singing national songs and drawing the Palestinian map.”

Another Palestinian who also attended last year’s event said: "We enjoy attending the Land Day event especially to remind our kids of their ancestral land while they are in a diaspora situation," she said.

Abu Ahmad also noted that Malaysia has had a long history of supporting the Palestinian cause.

This marked the first time that Palestinians in Malaysia are observing the anniversary of Land Day with digital activities on social media.

The story of Land Day originated in 1976 when the Israeli confiscated around 607ha of Palestinian-owned farms and the land of Sekheneen and neighbouring Arab towns located under-occupied Palestine for new Israeli illegal settlements.

- Bernama 

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