Gaza: Malaysian Delegation will Return with Greater Spirit
ISTANBUL, April 28 April (Bernama) -- The postponement of the humanitarian aid voyage mission "Break The Siege: Freedom Flotilla To Gaza 2024," has not dampened the spirit of the Malaysian delegation to continue providing aid to the people in Gaza.
The head of the Malaysian delegation to Gaza, Dr Kamal Nasaruddin Mustapha said, this postponement is not an end, but a 'restart' for the participants to return with more enthusiasm.
"The Malaysian delegation feels saddened upon receiving this information (about the postponement) because we were all eager to set sail as a sign of support for the Palestinian struggle.
"Despite our enthusiasm, we understand the circumstances and pressures from Israel and other countries that never wanted this voyage to happen from the beginning," he said when met in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday.
Kamal, who is also the Chairman of Humanitarian Care Malaysia Berhad (MyCARE), disclosed that each participant was informed about the possible risks involved but did not anticipate that the issue of using the flag of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau would be used as an excuse by the Zionist regime of Israel to thwart this mission.
Kamal also emphasised that the safety aspect of each participant was the primary focus in making any decisions by the Steering Committee members of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) before sailing.
"The organisers did their best and ensured that the voyage could proceed, but they never compromised on the safety of the participants," he added.
On Friday, FFC Steering Committee member Ann Wright announced the suspension of the humanitarian aid voyage to an undisclosed date and advised all participants to return to their respective countries.
A sombre and sad atmosphere enveloped the dining hall at Tugra Hotel during the daily meeting between the FFC and delegations from other countries.
The revocation of the permission to use the national flag of the Republic of Guinea Bissau on two ships, namely the flagship Akdeniz ("Mediterranean"), and the cargo ship halted this voyage.
According to the law, every ship entering international waters must fly the flag of the country under which the ship is registered throughout the voyage.
The Malaysian delegation is expected to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1 Monday at around 2:45 pm local time.
A total of 18 Malaysians joined the international civil society in sailing on a flotilla to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza through maritime routes due to the dire humanitarian situation in the region.
They comprised doctors, humanitarian activists, and media practitioners.
Among the Malaysian media practitioners who joined the flotilla were a writer and broadcasting journalist from the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), Muhammad Hafizuddin Mohd Yusof, and a cameraman from Bernama TV, Mohammad Nulhakim Jailan.
Activists from 30 countries including Malaysia have been gathering in Istanbul since April 18 for the final preparations for the "Break the Siege: Freedom Flotilla Mission to Gaza 2024" mission.
-- BERNAMA
