BRITISH POLITICIAN PRAISES MALAYSIAN PM'S WIFE, MAHATHIR FOR HELPING PALESTINIANS

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 (Bernama) -- Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Malaysian Prime
Minister Najob Razak, former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and
Turkish prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan have been singled out by a British
politician for their exemplary efforts to help push for the Viva Palestina
humanitarian aid convoy to reach its destination in the Gaza Strip of Palestine.

George Galloway, a UK politician who is leading the convoy, had told the Al
Jazeera TV network that the convoy, carrying essentials and medical aid for
Palestinians trapped by an Israeli blockade, must be allowed to proceed.

In a report filed on Dec 28, entitled "Fighting to Break the Gaza Siege",
the network had quoted Galloway as saying that medicines brought by the convoy
"are in a race against time of their expiry date and are getting spoiled under
the desert sun, whilst people in Gaza die for the want of them."

"The government of Turkey and the respected Premier (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan
are trying their best, as is the former prime minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir
Mohamad, as well as the wife of the current prime minister in Kuala
Lumpur," he was quoted as saying in the report.

Calloway also said that he had written to Queen Rania of Jordan asking her
to contact Madame Susan Mubarak, first lady of Egypt and the head of Egyptian
Red Crescent.

He said there were more than 200 trucks and 500 people from 17 different
countries who gave up their Christmas holidays to try and help one and a half
million Arabs and Muslims in Gaza.

"We are four hours away, across the Red Sea from approaching Rafah but an
Arab government will not allow us.

"The question is: What are 300 million Arabs going to do about this
continued slow, quiet massacre of their brothers behind the wire?"

Galloway said the 500 members of the Viva Palestina Convoy to Gaza spent
Christmas in a car park in Aqaba after Egypt refused to help them.

He said previously, so many Turks, Arabs and British were together in this
town and they were fighting the first World War against each other.

However, he said, now they were fighting to break through the siege on the
Palestinian people in Gaza.

"There will be enough time afterwards to review everyone's role in the
sorry Christmas story but for now I am appealing to anyone and everyone to help
us reach Gaza," he said.
-- BERNAMA