AID MISSION AWAITING PERMISSION TO ENTER GAZA

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 (Bernama) -- Humanitarian activists on board a
Malaysian aid ship, MV Finch, are waiting for clearance from the Egyptian government to enter the Gaza Strip overland through the Rafah crossing.

Twelve people - seven Malaysians, two Irish, two Indians and a Canadian - including anti-war activists and journalists - were on board the vessel anchored outside El-Arish Port, Egypt carrying 7.5km of pipes to help restore sewage system in Gaza.

Mohd Faizal Hassan, a Bernama journalist on board, said it would take three hours to take the pipes across the border and hand them over to Palestinian representatives.

"We are putting up the night on board. We are not sure whether we will be allowed to join another group, who are already in Cairo to send aid by road to Gaza. We are waiting for further instructions," he said when contacted.

The second group, which included Berita Harian (a malay daily) journalist Syed Azwan Syed Ali and TV3 journalist Ahmad Azizi Adnan, is also waiting for approval to enter Gaza through Rafah crossing.

Mohd Faizal said he was bewildered over warning shots fired by Israeli navy gunboats as they turned the aid ship away from Rafah shore Monday.

"We breathed a huge sigh of relief after Egyptian naval vessels came to our aid and escorted 'MV Finch' to Al-Arish," he added.

MV Finch is skippered by Capt Abdul Jalil Mansor from Malaysia and aided by four crew, namely Zainuddin Mohamad, Mohd Jaffery Ariffin (both Malaysians), Sharma Chandan Shimla and Pal Satya Prakash (both Indian citizens).

Others on board are New Straits Times journalist Iskandar Alang Bendahara, Malaysian volunteer Mohd Radzillah Abdullah, Derek Graham, Jenny Graham (both Irish activists), and Julie Levesque (Canadian activist).