MALAYSIA SENDS 10 MORE CONTAINERS OF AID TO GAZA

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has added 10 more containers of goods under the emergency humanitarian aid mission to Gaza, bringing the total number of containers sent to 110, said Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

Representing Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the flagging off of the mission in Egypt yesterday, he said the containers contained basic food items such as rice and flour, as well as personal hygiene kits including sanitary pads.

"The addition of 10 more containers brings the total number to 110 containers worth RM12 million, which can benefit 60,000 families in Gaza," he said in a Facebook post today.

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Also present at the launch of the aid mission led by the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisation (MAPIM) were its president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid and mission leader Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby.

On March 23, Ahmad Zahid officiated at the flagging-off of the 100 containers with 1,358 tonnes of goods at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Subang.

In the post, Nik Nazmi also said that the good diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Egypt, including the direct involvement of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, enabled the smooth journey of Malaysian containers carrying aid goods.

He also affirmed that Malaysia will continue to speak up loudly and punch above its weight on humanitarian issues such as apartheid, Palestine, and Bosnia, which have been a tradition since the early days of the country's independence.

"The developed world talks about zero carbon emissions, but they are not firm on issues like continuous bombings, critical water pollution, and land damage in Gaza," he added.

-- BERNAMA