NEWLY-WED MALAYSIAN HAPPY TO BE IN PALESTINIAN AID CONVOY

By Saleh Hasan

GAZA, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- A newly-married Malaysian is thankful to Allah (God)
for realising his dream to be here as part of the ‘Asia 1’ aid convoy, as the
Palestinian authorities in this besieged enclave honoured their attempt to break
the Israeli blockade.

Twenty-four-year old Muhammed Zakaria said the aim of his visit to Gaza was to
support the Palestinian cause.

"I say to my family in Malaysia that we are very happy here to help our Muslim
brothers in Gaza.

“All praise is due to Allah because He (helped me to) achieve my ambition to be
here," he told Bernama at a welcoming ceremony by senior Hamas leader Ismail
Haniyeh at his office here Tuesday.

Muhammed, who married a month and a half ago, said his wife was happy with what
he was doing.

The 112-member convoy, bringing food, medicines and children’s toys, arrived
here Monday -– a month after starting its long trip from India on Dec 2.

Meanwhile, the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry in
collaboration with the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry, the
Malaysian Palm Oil Board, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the
Inland Revenue Board has established a task force to solve the artificial
cooking oil shortage.

Ismail Sabri said the task force would take action and investigate
irregularities in the production, repackaging and distribution of cooking oil," he
said.

He denied a claim by the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia that the
shortage of cooking oil in several states was due to lack of coordination among
various ministries and agencies.

"It is not true. Since early December, when one or two shops did not get cooking
oil supply, the ministry immediately convened a meeting with the Malaysian Palm
Oil Board and the Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry to solve the
problem. We have met six times until today," he said.

On the increase in the prices of RON97 petrol and kerosene by 10 sen
respectively effective Wednesday, he said the price hike was not announced by
the government as they were dependent on the world's crude oil price unlike
RON95 petrol price which was a price-controlled item. (US$1=RM3.07)

The Petrol Dealers Association of Malaysia announced Tuesday that RON97 petrol
would now cost RM2.40 per litre while kerosene RM2.50 per litre.

Indonesian television correspondent Anna Diara said she was lucky to be in Gaza
to make a documentary for her station.

"Our trip was very interesting...however, I thought there would be many victims
during this journey as what happened to the Freedom Flotilla," she said,
referring to the Lifeline4 Gaza Flotilla which was attacked in international
waters by Israeli forces last May 31.

Anna, 29, said her television station manager had chosen her to join the convoy
because of her experience, having worked in Lebanon to produce a movie about the
Palestinian refugees there.

Another participant, 32-year-old Youssef Ali Mirage, a Pakistani, resolved to
take his wife and his three young sons along with him in the convoy to show his
support for the Palestinian resistance against Israel.

While honouring members of the 'Asia 1' convoy, Haniyeh said these convoys
strengthened the steadfastness of the Palestinian people and weakened the
Israeli embargo.

"These convoys should continue until the siege is lifted,” he said.
-- BERNAMA