M'SIA DONATES US$1 MLN TO FLOOD-RAVAGED PAKISTAN

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- Malaysia today gave a US$1 million (about
RM3.18 million) donation to Pakistan to help the country handle its worst floods
in 80 years which have killed 1,600 people and displaced more than 15 million.

Deputy Foreign Minister Richard Riot Jaem handed over a cheque for the
amount to Charge d'Affaires Ad Interim of the Pakistan High Commission in Kuala
Lumpur, Dr Imtiaz A. Kazi, at Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry) here.

Riot said Malaysia was concerned about the plight of the people of Pakistan
who had to face the most devastating floods in the country's history.

He also said the ministry had launched a disaster fund to enable Malaysians
to donate to the flood victims in Pakistan.

Donations could be channelled to the fund through cheques in the name of
"Tabung Bencana Kementerian Luar Negeri", he said.

"I hereby appeal to members of the public, corporate figures, corporations
and individuals to come forward to assist our brothers and sisters in Pakistan,"
he said.

On another matter, Riot said Singapore had not responded to the letter of
clemency handed over by Foreign Minister Anifah Aman to his Singapore
counterpart George Yeo on July 20 in Hanoi with respect to the death sentence
passed on Malaysian Yong Vui Kong found guilty of drug trafficking in the
republic.

"We respect the law of another country and we cannot interfere in the law of
the country. We can only try to seek clemency. Whether the clemency is granted
or otherwise, it depends very much on the government of Singapore," he said.

Yong, 22, was found guilty on Jan 7 last year of trafficking in 47 grammes
of diamorphine. His petition for clemency was rejected by the President of
Singapore on Dec 1 last year.
-- BERNAMA


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