MALAYSIA TO SEND AID TO PALESTINE IN FACE OF OBSTACLES, SAYS PM NAJIB

From Harlina Samson

OXFORD, May 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Monday Malaysia would continue to send aid to the people of Palestine in the face of obstacles and challenges.

He said the Malaysian people were keen and eager to help the people of Palestine who had long lived under duress and suffering due to the cruel and unjust actions of the Israeli military.

Expressing grief over the firing of warning shots by Israeli naval forces at the Malaysian vessel "MV Finch" carrying aid to Gaza Monday, Najib said this only showed that the Tel Aviv regime was continuing with its tyranny against the people of Palestine.

Israeli naval forces fired warning shots on Monday at the MV Finch, forcing it to withdraw to Egyptian waters. The vessel had left Greece on May 11 carrying plastic pipes to help restore the sewage system in Gaza.

Najib said shots, even if they were fired in warning, should not be targeted at humanitarian aid channelled by unarmed civilians.

"This shows that they will resort to anything at all to continue to oppress the people of Palestine because they do not want the Palestinian residents in Gaza to obtain any humanitarian aid.

"I am most saddened by this arrogant and inhuman act of the Tel Aviv regime," he told Malaysian journalists covering his visit to the United Kingdom.

Asked whether Malaysia would raise its objection with the United Nations Security Council over the incident, Najib said Malaysia had made much representation and spoken out on the issue of Palestine to the UN but it seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

On his visit to the United Kingdom, the prime minister said he would make an official visit to the United Kingdom in July.

Najib said the new coalition government of the United Kingdom felt that London and Kuala Lumpur should resuscitate the long-time relationship between the United Kingdom and Malaysia.

He said the new government under the leadership of Prime Minister David Cameron had conveyed a message of wanting to revive and strengthen bilateral ties.

"There is a new push at the top as a political support and political drive (to boost the ties between London and Kuala Lumpur). I think that it can be further enhanced across many fronts," he added.