KUALA LUMPUR – PAS has made assurances that its Palestine solidarity gathering this Friday will not disrupt the tabling of the national budget in Parliament on the same day at 4pm.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari told Scoop that the gathering taking place simultaneously in selected mosques nationwide will occur right after congregational Friday prayers, before 4pm.
The Pasir Mas MP added that it will not be a problem for anyone to take part, including parliamentarians.
“The gathering will be held after Friday prayers at selected mosques. That will be a few hours before Budget 2024 is tabled in the Dewan Rakyat, which is scheduled at 4pm.
“That won’t be an issue.”
PAS information chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin also assured that the gathering will not disrupt the scheduled tabling of the budget on Friday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“It won’t be a problem, different timing,” he said.
Earlier today, PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan called on its members and supporters to take to the streets in a show of their solidarity with the Palestinian people on Friday.
“As a statement of PAS’ solidarity and stance towards the Palestinians’ holy fight in defending the Al-Aqsa Mosque… all party members, supporters and Muslims in particular are directed to show unity of mind and action by attending a peaceful solidarity gathering,” he wrote in a letter addressed to state liaison bodies, party secretaries, among others.
Yesterday, Malaysia urged the UN Security Council to convene an emergency session to de-escalate the ongoing clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters in and around the Gaza strip.
The Foreign Ministry said loss of life, suffering and destruction should stop during such a critical time, while parties there must also exercise utmost restraint and de-escalate the conflict.
Anwar had also reiterated Malaysia’s unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people, calling on the international community to cease all one-sided actions perpetuating cruelty and oppression against the Palestinians.
The surge in violence followed a surprise attack by Hamas last Saturday, involving dozens of fighters infiltrating an Israeli city near the coastal enclave amid intense rocket fire. The aim of its Operation Al-Aqsa Flood is to put an end to Israeli “violations”.
In turn, the Israeli army initiated Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said we are “at war”.
Israel’s Health Ministry reported that the attack resulted in the deaths of at least 300 Israelis and left more than 1,500 injured.
More than 123,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip as the recently intensified Palestinian-Israeli conflict escalates, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. – October 9, 2023