VIVA PALESTINA MALAYSIA TO INITIATE FOUR PROJECTS IN 2011 TO ASSIST PALESTINIANS

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12 (Bernama) -- Viva Palestina Malaysia (VPM) will
undertake four projects this year beginning in May to assist the Palestinians
improve their socio-economy.

Its president Adnan Mohd Tahir said the projects would involve
providing interest-free loans, creation of jobs, encouraging livestock breeding,
and developing and marketing of Palestinian products for local consumption.

He said generating economic activities was important to enable the
Palestinians to support their families as 50 per cent of them had no jobs.

"There (in the occupied territories), the Israel regime does not allow the
import and export of goods except for a few types, hence it is difficult for the
Palestinians' economy to grow," he said at a pre-launch press conference on the
VPM Project 2011, here, today.

Adnan said that for a start, a fund-raising dinner would be held on Jan 22
in conjuncton with the project launching by former prime minister Dr Mahathir
Mohamad.

"We target to collect about RM500,000 (US$161,290) from the purchase of
tables for the dinner and donations," he added.

According to him, the four projects would be managed by a number of
organisations in Palestine.
-- BERNAMA