MALAYSIAN PARLIAMENT AGAINST CLINTON'S STATEMENT ON AID FLOTILLA TO GAZA

KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Parliament Wednesday
protested against US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's recent claim of the
second humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza being unnecessary and an act of
provocation.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohamed Nazri Abdul
Aziz said Clinton's remarks were seen as giving the green light to Israel to
continue oppressing the people of Gaza and making it difficult for the
humanitarian mission to reach the impoverished enclave.

"I, representing the Malaysian chapter of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
(IPU), do not agree with the stance of the United States over Israel's brutality
against the Palestinians although we have good relations (with the US).

"This is a humanitarian effort; we need to give aid and support to the
Palestianians in Gaza," he told reporters as his office in Parliament building,
here.

Earlier, Mohamed Nazri received a memorandum from Lifeline4Gaza which
contains four resolutions to be forwarded to the IPU, from the non-governmental
organisation's representative, Muhammad Ridhwan Sulaiman.

One of the resolutions voices protest against Clinton's statement on the
humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza and calls on the Israeli regime not to use
force on the Freedom Flotilla 2 delegation on its voyage to Gaza.

The other resolutions urge Israel to respect international law and to allow
the aid flotilla to enter Gazan waters.

Mohamed Nazri said he would discuss with the members of the IPU, Malaysia to
determine the proper procedure before forwarding the memorandum to IPU, which
will meet in early October in Berne, Switzerland.

"As president of the Malaysian chapter of IPU, I accept this memorandum as I
realise the important efforts by NGOs in helping the beleaguered Palestinians in
Gaza who have the right to receive aid from the international community," he
said.

-- BERNAMA