Come Jan 30, millionaire-turned-relief worker Sani Araby will be on his eighth mission to Syria.
He will lead a team from the Malaysia Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim) to build 50 schools and prayer halls at camps for the internally displaced at the Turkey-Syria border. He is in charge of Mapim’s charity work there.
“After Aleppo was attacked at the end of December, we wanted to give emergency aid to the people who had fled the city,” he said. “In five days, we raised RM500,000 from Malaysians. So we were able to send things like blankets, heaters and other items that were urgently needed.
“We will be there again at the end of January for another mission.”
The number of internally displaced people at the border was at one time said to be 11 million, but the number has obviously increased following attacks on major cities such as Aleppo.
About 45,000 new internally displaced people are from Aleppo alone.
“I don’t have the latest number of internally displaced people, but when we visited the camps, we saw that there were new people,” Sani said.
But why would a millionaire put his life in danger by leading such a risky mission?
The 33-year-old, whose businesses include textiles, dairy products, food and beverages in northern Malaysia, said it was because of his desire to make a difference.
Sani admitted that Syria was a different ball game from Gaza, where he has also been involved in humanitarian work.
“In Gaza, the attacks are seasonal but in Syria, it’s war every day. You never know what will happen next.”
Sani forbids his family from contacting him whenever he is on a mission to Syria.
He said: “I did not go through military training. I need to be focused. Calls from family members will disturb my concentration. If they want updates, they will have to check my Facebook page or check with Mapim.
But why Syria?
“The generic answer would always be religion-oriented. But I always say it’s because I am Malaysian. Why? Because Malaysians help a lot of people.”
He said financial contributions for his work came from all races. “When we talk about humanity, we talk about love,” he added.