M'SIA SEEKING SUPPORT TO URGE EGYPT TO OPEN RAFAH BORDER CROSSING PERMANENTLY

PUTRAJAYA, June 9 (bernama) -- Malaysia will seek the support of other countries to urge Egypt to open the Rafah border crossing permanently, to enable humanitarian aid to reach the Palestinians in Gaza.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said be believed the other countries were
unanimous in wanting Egypt to do so.

He said he would be contacting the Egyptian Foreign Minister and his other
counterparts such as in Jordan and Turkey for the objective.

"We must speak with one voice in asking Egypt to open up the Rafah border
crossing. Malaysia alone cannot do it.

"But I believe if member countries of the Organisation of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) make a clarion call for Egypt to open the Rafah border crossing
continuously, it will oblige so that we can deliver aid like medicines, food,
clothing, cement and steel to the people of Gaza," he told reporters, here,
Wednesday.

Anifah had earlier received a visit from members of the Students
Representative Council of University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) at Wisma Putra.

On the motion tabled by the prime minister in parliament on Monday to
condemn Israel's recent attack on a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid ship, Anifah
said there would be continuous condemnation of Israel's Zionist regime's attack
on the "Freedom Flotilla".

He said he would also be contacting his counterparts in the OIC and Gulf
Cooperation Council, as well as western countries critical of Israel's
aggression and brutality.

"We have also discussed and will form a panel to see the avenue available to
us to bring the Israeli regime to the International Criminal Court."

He said Malaysia, meanwhile, had asked for assistance from Turkey, as a
permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, to propose a motion to
not only strongly condemn Israel's attack but also on action that should be
taken against the Zionist regime based on the principles of international law.
-- BERNAMA