MALAYSIAN PM SUPPORTS NGO TO CONTINUE AID MISSIONS TO GAZA

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak
will continue to support programmes and efforts by non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) to send humanitarian aid missions to Gaza.

"I think it would be very good if the NGOs continue to undertake programmes
such as sending humanitarian aid using certain boats or ships or in whatever
way.

"This is to ensure that the problems and hardships faced by the Palestinians
in Gaza will always get the attention of the world community," he told reporters
after hosting a luncheon for six more Malaysian volunteers at his residence in
Langgak Duta, here Tuesday.

The six volunteers, who were involved in the humanitarian aid mission to
Gaza who were released by Israeli troops on Saturday, were Shamsul Akmar Musa
Kamal, Matthias Chang and Ahmad Faizal Azumu, from the Perdana Global Peace
Organisation (PGPO), the Member of Parliament for Parit Mohd Nizar Zakaria, as
well as Halim Mohamed and Mohd Jufri Judin, from TV3.

They were travelling on board the ship MV Rachel Corrie, which was carrying
various humanitarian aid for the Palestinians in Gaza, when they were detained
by Israeli troops who were escorting the ship to the Port of Ashdod three days
ago and were released on Saturday at the King Hussein Bridge at the
Israel-Jordan border.

Najib said the humanitarian aid mission to the Palestinians had drawn the
attention of the world community on the atrocities committed by the Zionist
regime in Israel who had blocked the aid mission convoy in international waters.

"We can now see the big shift in world opinion, which is now on the side of
the Palestinians and the Israeli government has been widely condemned by the
international community," he said.

Also present at the luncheon were the Prime Minister's wife Rosmah Mansor,
former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali,
Perdana Global Piece Organisation (PGPO) advisor Mukhriz Mahathir, Foreign
Minister Anifah Aman and Minister in the Prime
Minister's Department Ahmad Maslan.

Meanwhile, Mukhriz said the PGPO was now making efforts to get back the
ships involved in the humanitarian mission, including the ship MV Rachel Corrie,
which could probably be used again to continue with the humanitarian aid mission
in future.

"If possible, we want our ships, Challenger 1 and 2 as well as Rachel
Corrie, back because they have been paid for. Now, the thing is for the Turkish
and Jordanian governments to assist in releasing our ships," he said.

On the latest PGPO plan, Mukhriz said the organisation would try to assist
former British Member of Parliament George Galore, who has close ties with Gaza,
to send 60 ships on a humanitarian mission there.

-- BERNAMA