SPECIAL PARLIAMENT SITTING MONDAY ON GAZA INVASION

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 (Bernama) -- The special sitting of the Parliament Monday is expected to adopt Malaysia's stand on the Israeli invasion of the
Gaza Strip as well as initiatives to further prompt the international community
into action over the Zionist regime's atrocities against the people of
Palestine.

The members of parliament, both from the government and opposition, will
debate on the bloody conflict, which has killed up to 850 people, at the sitting
scheduled to begin at 2.30pm.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will table a motion which will be
seconded by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of Parti
Keadilan Rakyat (People's Justice Party or PKR), will also speak at the special
sitting while Foreign Minister Dr Rais Yatim will wind up the debate.

The special sitting is an extension of the initiatives adopted by Kuala
Lumpur to get the Tel Aviv regime to stop the atrocities it launched on Dec 27
last year against the Palestinians and the various amenities in Gaza, home to
1.5 million people.

The people of Palestine have suffered for a long time under Israeli
occupation of the territory and an economic blockade over the last 18 months.

The special sitting is significant in figuring out further initiatives
following Israel's rejection of a United Nations resolution adopted on Friday
calling for an immediate cease-fire. The United States had abstained in the UN
vote.

Malaysia, a strong supporter of the struggle of the Palestinian people, is
seen by many as having the clout to coax the international community to adopt
efforts to free the people of Palestine from the cruel clutches of Israel.

This was, more or less, evident when the UN responded positively to a
request from Malaysia and Brazil to convene a special session, which took place
on Friday.

Nevertheless, the Malaysian government has expressed disappointment over the
UN resolution which it felt had failed to consider several important elements
hoped for by the majority of the international community, such as humanitarian
aid and the formation of an international peace-keeping force.

Malaysia has all along rejected the Israeli occupation of Palestine which
has seen the conflict prolong since 1948 following the establishment of Israel
and the displacement of millions of Palestinians from their homeland.

The latest conflict saw Malaysians reacting along with the peace-loving
international community seeking justice to demand an immediate stop to the
Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has
proposed that the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) set up a
peace-keeping force to be despatched to Islamic countries faced with conflicts
such as that in Palestine.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has proposed that the special
sitting of the Parliament adopt a resolution for the UN to set up a tribunal
to investigate and prosecute Israeli war crimes, as had been suggested by
Francis Boyle, an expert in international law and human rights, from the United
States.

Others have also called for the boycott of products of Israel's allies,
including the United States.

The Malaysian government has also offered US$1 million in humanitarian aid
for the people of Palestine, to be channelled through voluntary relief agency
Mercy Malaysia, and relaunched the humanitarian fund of Wisma Putra to help the
Palestinians.
-- BERNAMA