M'SIAN PM TO PERFORM 'SOLAT HAJAT' FOR PALESTINIANS

KUALA TERENGGANU (Malaysia), Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will join some 3,000 Muslims in performing "solat hajat" (prayer of need) for Palestinians at the Stadium Negeri, here, Thursday.

Kuala Terengganu is the capital city of east coast Terengganu state in
Peninsular Malaysia.

Terengganu Chief Minister Ahmad Said said after the prayer, the state
government would present financial aid for the Palestinians, who are suffering
as a result of Israeli brutality in Gaza.

"The state government sympathises with what is happening in Palestine. So,
we have agreed to give some financial aid but the amount will only be announced
Thursday," he told reporters after chairing the state executive council's weekly
meeting, here, Wednesday.
He said the prayer, which would be performed after the Maghrib prayer, is
hoped will bring peace and harmony in the illegally occupied land.

Meanwhile, Ahmad said the Prime Minister, who will be on a one-day working
visit to the state, is also scheduled to officiate the ground-breaking ceremony
for the construction of a pediatric hospital and maternity ward at the Sultanah
Nur Zahirah Hospital (SNZH), here, at 10.30am Thursday.

He said the RM115 million (US$1=RM3.50) project, which was approved by the
Finance Ministry recently, is aimed at providing better facilities for children,
especially newborns and their mothers, as the current service at the SNZH was
over-stretched.

-- BERNAMA