PETALING JAYA: Send aid that Palestine people need, not by following our own preferences, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has advised Malaysian volunteer organisations who wish to help victims of the conflict in Gaza.
Civil society organisations and volunteers had good intentions but it was important to consult the authorities before delivering aid, Anwar said in Cairo at the end of a two-day visit.
“Don’t purchase based on our preferences; this is the issue with the organisations that send aid,” he said, Bernama reported. “Their intentions are good, but sometimes what is purchased is not what people need. We need to hear from the people of Gaza themselves what they want.
“In the case of medicine, there are several types, and they must be properly labelled. There are several methods that must be followed. The same goes for food, they have no cooking facilities, so they need ready-to-eat food in cans, some have also stated that they do not consume instant noodles.
“So in this matter, don’t buy stuff until we know (what the people of Gaza need),” he said at a press conference in Cairo.
He said organisations should not collect donations for charitable purposes unless they were registered, transparent and had proper accounts.
Anwar said he had held a meeting with Egyptian Red Crescent Society president Dr Ramy el-Nazer which was also attended by Mercy Malaysia executive council member Azura Ibrahim.
The government would send humanitarian aid to Egypt by air before it is handed over to the Red Crescent Society to be sent to Gaza. He said Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had agreed to speed up approval for a Malaysian aid mission. - FMT
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