Tuesday, June 1, 2010

PAS slams PM for late reaction to Gaza ship raid

KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — PAS today rapped Datuk Seri Najib Razak for his delayed reaction to voice Malaysia’s outrage over the Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, using the attack to score political points against the prime minister.

Najib and Wisma Putra issued statements last night against Israel for the bloody seizure of a Turkish aid ship that has reportedly killed nine people. The prime minister has ordered Wisma Putra to bring back Malaysian volunteers who are with the flotilla.

“The Barisan Nasional government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak which acts so friendly towards the US/ Zionist [government] must be condemned by all Malaysians,” PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar said in a statement.

The Pokok Sena MP also wants the Najib administration to end its contract with global public relations firm, Apco, which the former claimed is a “proxy” for Israel and the US.

“The prime minister’s delay gives the impression he is waiting for advice from Apco for the government to act without jeopardising APCO’s entrusted job to restore US confidence in the Malaysian government,” he said.

Mahfuz also demanded the federal government stops all trade, both official and otherwise, with Israel.

He gave the PM 48 hours to call for a special parliamentary sitting to come up with a plan to “save Malaysians being detained by Israel’s authorities”.

PAS’ allies in the Pakatan Rakyat, however, did not appear to share its views.

In separate media statements, DAP and PKR denounced Israel for the attack but made no mention of making Putrajaya accountable.

“We are deeply disappointed with the failure of some countries to condemn this blatant act of violence, including the US which only expressed ‘deep regret’ and the UK, Canada and Australia which have been entirely silent,” PKR’s international bureau chief Mustaffa Kamil Ayub Mustaffa said.

Mustaffa, who is also PKR vice-president, urged world leaders to rally together and show Israel the international community would not stand for its brand of government.

“It is time for the entire international community to be put its full weight behind an effort to coerce Israel to fall in line and adhere to universal norms of human rights as well as implement all United Nations resolutions related to Palestine,” he added.

DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng offered condolences to the families of the 10 activists killed onboard the aid-bearing ships and urged world leaders to “punish” Israel.

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