ALOR SETAR: Several students from Albukhary International University (AIU) Malaysia denounced the killing of their Palestinian schoolmate, Solaiman Abu Anzaj, 25, in Gaza during the Israel-Palestine conflict. They stood up with Palestinian and Malaysian flags, showing their sadness and disappointment over the death of their good friend, who was studying at the same university in Alor Setar, Kedah.
The AIU student was reported to have been shot dead by Israeli soldiers at the Gaza borders when he was on vacation in Palestine last week.
According to his Palestinian friends who study at the same university, Solaiman was a good student, very helpful, and active. He came to Malaysia as a student in 2020 and was pursuing his Bachelor Degree in Computer Science at AIU.
His friend said that after three years studying at AIU, Solaiman decided to go back to visit his family in Gaza, Palestine.
They said Solaiman left for Palestine on September 15, 2023, after the final examination, but he did not come back again. They kept messaging him, but he did not reply.
They said that after three days of trying to search for him via messaging, they finally heard news from his family that he had been found dead at the borders of Israel.
“I used to text him very often. The last time I messaged him and he replied was at the end of September. I asked him about his family, and he said he was very happy to see them after three years.
“However, when the war started in Gaza on October 7, I messaged him many times, but he did not reply,” said Ahmed Ali Shaheen, another Palestinian student from AIU.
“All of a sudden, on October 8, 2023, I saw the news on social media that he was shot dead. I called his family and spoke to his brother, who confirmed that Solaiman was killed.”
Ahmed added that the students in Malaysia cannot easily contact their families in Gaza because the internet connection was down during the war.
“After having been missing for three nights, finally an ambulance brought his dead body to the house,” said his brother to his (Solaiman) friend, who contacted him on the phone.
According to Ahmed, Solaiman was an active participant in AIU events and in class and used to support freedom and equality, but he was always alone.
“He used to stay alone in his room in the hostel. He did not like to socialise much with people; he only went to the class, from the class to his room, and to the mosque. He talked or called us only when he needed our help,” Ahmed told Malaysia World News.
Meanwhile, his schoolmates regard Solaiman as a good student, as he used to score good marks in all his subjects, and his GPA was 3.6.
Another Palestinian student, Ahmed Al-Nanai, who was a close friend of Solaiman and his family, said: “I have spoken to his father and mother, who were very sad about their son’s death. Before he died, his mother was very happy, as he (Solaiman) was preparing to start helping his poor family.
“Solaiman was so happy to see his parents after three years studying abroad. His mother also mentioned that Solaiman had visited all his aunts and uncles before he died, as if he felt that he was going to die,” said Ahmed Al-Nanai.
Ahmed Al-Nanai also told a MWN reporter that Solaiman had passed away on his birthday.
“Yeah, it was his birthday, and he was like preparing some gifts from Gaza to give his friends here in Malaysia. He had asked all Palestinian students at AIU if they wanted anything from Gaza,” said Ahmed.
Since the war started in Gaza on October 7, thousands of Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, tens of thousands were displaced from their homes, and thousands were missing under Israeli bombardments. Malaysian World News
