ABOUT 50 NGO`s AGAINST TONY BLAIR`S INVITATION TO MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama)-- About 50 non-governmental organisations
(NGO) today criticised a Singapore-based company for its intention to invite
former British prime minister Tony Blair to give a talk at a business congress
to be held here on April 24.

The NGOs said they were strongly opposed to the invitation because of
Blair's role in the occupation of Iraq in 2003, which led to the deaths of
over one million Iraqis.

"We are very disappointed with Success Resources Company from Singapore
which is organising the event and inviting Tony Blair to give a talk here," said
Perdana Global Peace Organisation honorary secretary Dr Zulaiha Ismail, who
represented the NGOs in a news conference here.

Malaysian NGOs, their members and supporters sympathise with the Iraqis for
the invasion of their sovereign country by multinational forces led by troops
from the United States and the United Kingdom and the immense suffering they had
to bear, especially the women and children," she added.

She said the NGOs hoped that the organisers could withdraw the invitation to
Blair and added that an online petition at www.perdana4peace.org had so far
collected 2,800 individual signatures.
-- BERNAMA