JEDDAH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak discussed the plight of Rohingya Muslims, who have been dubbed by the UN as one of the world's most persecuted ethnic minorities. During a meeting at Al-Salam Palace here on Sunday, the two leaders stressed the need to address the persecution and ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in the framework of the resolutions of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the United Nations and the principles of universal human rights. They also reviewed the Kingdom's efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to them. It is estimated that at least 25,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar since the beginning of 2015. More than 230 people have been killed in religious violence in Myanmar since June 2012 and more than 140,000 have been displaced. Recent reports have also warned that Rohingya women who were taken hostage at human-trafficking camps in Thailand and Malaysia have been gang raped by their kidnappers. On Saturday, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and the minister of interior, held at Al-Salam Palace a banquet in honor of the Malaysian prime minister, who arrived on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia accompanied by three Cabinet ministers. The Malaysian prime minister is here at the invitation of King Salman. The Malaysian ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Zainol Rahim Zainuddin, was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency that the prime minister's visit aims to enhance long-standing ties between the two countries. The King's invitation signifies the good relations that have been cultivated for more than 50 years. Another highlight of Najib's itinerary is a visit to the Depot Metro Al-Mashaer Al-Muqaddas (Southern Line), which is part of the Makkah Public Transport Program Metro used during the Haj season. He is expected to attend a briefing on the project when visiting the depot's control station centers located in Arafat. Last month, Prasarana Malaysia Bhd won a three-year contract to manage the Mashaer train. Prasarana outbid several other major operators for the contract awarded by the Saudi Arabian Municipal and Rural Affairs Ministry. Zainol Rahim said the award of this project shows Saudi Arabia's confidence in the ability of Malaysians. “We have several investments in Saudi Arabia but the award shows how strong and credible our people are in terms of how they can manage several projects and indicate the confidence of the world community towards Malaysia. “These developments may also attract the attention of Saudi investors to invest in Malaysia and see what Malaysia can offer. This will allow Saudi investors to look at areas they can invest in,” Zainol Rahim told Bernama. It was the second international Makkah Metro contract secured by Prasarana in six months. Last November, the company won an international bid to be the shadow operator for the first phase of the Mecca Metro. That meant that the company will provide consultancy services for the project's construction. Najib, who is accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, is slated to perform Umrah before returning to Malaysia on Monday morning.
