MALAYSIA URGES NON-COMMITTAL NON-ALIGNED MEMBERS TO RECOGNISE PALESTINE STATE

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has urged the 21 members of the
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) which have remained non-committal to quickly
recognise an independent state of Palestine.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the establishment of a
Palestinian state, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its
capital, should be a priority issue for NAM.

Palestinians have been languishing under Israel's illegal military
occupation for 44 years, he said, in a speech commemorating the 50th anniversary
of NAM in Belgrade, Serbia, on Monday. The text of his speech was faxed to
Bernama by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Wisma Putra) Wednesday.

"Therefore, NAM must assist Palestine in ending this illegal occupation and
realising the Two-State Solution.”

Anifah predicted that "recognition of the independent State of Palestine
will undoubtedly contribute to the rejuvenation of the peace process, which at
the moment seems to be heading nowhere."

He said the patience of all peace-loving people continued to be tested by
the attacks of Israeli Defence Forces on vessels carrying humanitarian aid to
Gaza, as well as by recent attacks resulting in the loss of innocent lives
during the blessed and holy month of Ramadan.

The minister noted that a Report by the (UN) Secretary-General's Panel of
Inquiry into the 31 May, 2010, flotilla incident labelled boarding of the
vessels by Israeli commandos "excessive and unreasonable."

But “some parts of the report remain questionable and unacceptable," he
said.

Security in the occupied Palestinian territory continues to worsen, he said,
and the brutality of the Israeli regime has exacerbated the already vulnerable
situation on the ground.

Anifah reiterated his call in Bali last May for NAM state members to act.

"Let us focus in our efforts on restoring the inalienable rights of the
Palestinian people.

"NAM must dare to take bold initiatives in international forums, including
the United Nations Security Council, where we are represented by our member
states,” he said in Belgrade.

"We should not and must not allow ourselves to be sidelined on issues of
major importance, such as the solution to the Middle East crisis, the
establishment of a Palestinian state, and (creation) of a nuclear weapons-free
world," Anifah said.

As responsible members of the international community, NAM member states
cannot turn a blind eye to the needs of nations severely affected by poverty,
political instability and natural calamity, he said.

For example, he said, the situation in Somalia, one of NAM's 120 members,
deserves global attention.

"Deeply concerned with the situation in Somalia, Malaysia dispatched a
humanitarian mission to mitigate the sufferings of our Somali brothers and
sisters.

“It was heart-rending, however, when one of our valiant sons, (BernamaTV
cameraman) Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, lost his life during this noble mission," he
said.

Nevertheless, it does not deter Malaysia from continue to help the people of
Somalia by fulfilling their basic needs, he said, calling for others to assist
in this endeavour.