Hon. Muneer Mulaffer - Deputy Minister of National Integration

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity to speak on the Agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. The previous speaker rightly said we must speak the truth, and I add, we must socialize that truth responsibly through media—print, electronic and social. Let me recall the COVID-19 period when our Muslim community suffered deeply due to the enforced cremation policy against their beliefs. Some media owners and channels, claiming to speak for truth, vilified the Muslim community then. We must remember that episode sincerely.

¶ 02 On Palestine, one does not need to be Muslim to feel anguish at what is happening in Gaza; it is a human issue. No religion or ethical framework can condone the atrocities occurring there. As a Government, we do not and will not endorse such inhumanity. The world is rejecting it. We will not politicize that suffering but stand, as a nation that has experienced war, with the global community praying and working so such horror happens to no one—neither in Gaza nor anywhere else.

¶ 03 On the UAE Agreement, Middle Eastern countries have helped us openly, without hidden agendas. Why did we need this Agreement now? In the past, smear campaigns targeted UAE investors here—accusing them falsely of land grabs and such—forcing some to leave. Up to 2018, the UAE contributed significantly: building 3,200 houses, rehabilitating 1,100 houses, providing university hostels, four health centres, seven school buildings, and equipment including ambulances. Why did such investors leave? Why did Middle Eastern tourist arrivals drop from about 70,000 pre-2019 to 29,000 now? We must introspect.

¶ 04 Some who now speak of attracting investors forget their past actions that bred distrust and drove investors away. Our Government is working to regain their confidence and rebuild a strong economic trajectory.

¶ 05 On drugs: references were made to “323 containers.” Over the past decades, politicians empowered the narcotics and underworld networks. Today, we must be honest and support the Government’s strong measures to eliminate this plague. Regardless of party, we should unite to build a country where our youth can live free and happy.

¶ 06 Thank you.