Kuala Lumpur: Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari has strongly condemned the airstrike that killed eight humanitarian workers from the Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organisations (MAPIM) in Gaza last Saturday.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Deputy Defence Minister stated that the attack was unacceptable and not in line with the spirit of the ceasefire reported to have come into effect on January 19. “Basically, we know that the Palestinians are ready for the ceasefire but the ceasefire ends with killings, and we know that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has issued a statement and we strongly condemn the atrocities committed by Israel against Palestine and we cannot accept it,” Adly Zahari expressed.
He reiterated Malaysia’s commitment to supporting NGOs in providing humanitarian services, including medical aid and other necessary assistance. “As the Prime Minister said before, we will continue to assist in terms of health needs, food, and others,” he added. These remarks were made during the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) Peduli Veteran MADANI (PVM) and the Breaking of Fast with MAF Veterans programme.
Earlier, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had also condemned the killings, issuing an official protest against the ongoing violence in Gaza and other parts of Palestine after chairing the Special Penang Development Meeting.
In another development, Adly Zahari highlighted the purpose of the PVM event, which aims to directly engage with MAF veterans, identify their needs, and gather feedback on initiatives implemented by the ministry. The programme has so far assisted 26 veterans in the Klang Valley, with 15 in Kuala Lumpur and 11 in Selangor.
“The Klang Valley-level PVM was specifically held to reach out to the MAF veterans in urban areas to have a deeper understanding of life’s challenges and the welfare aspects that need attention, especially health,” he stated. To date, a total of 31,000 MAF veterans have received living assistance of RM500 per month from the MAF Veterans Affairs Department.
Additionally, today’s event featured the awarding of incentives to four MAF veteran entrepreneurs, providing them with equipment such as soap-making tools, kuih siput machines, commercial ovens, and coconut processing machines.