Kuala lumpur: The government is prepared to consider a proposal for a second wave of humanitarian missions to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing in Egypt. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stated that the government, in principle, has pledged its support for any humanitarian effort to assist the people of Gaza.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar mentioned that after the tabling of Budget 2026, discussions will be held with Datuk Dr Sani Araby Abdul Alim Araby and Muhammad Nadir Al-Nuri Kamaruzaman, among other colleagues, to strategize the Rafah mission. This statement was made during the 'Himpunan Solidariti Bersama Gaza: Gelombang Malaysia, Palestin Merdeka' event at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil, demonstrating Malaysia's support for the people of Palestine.
The event was attended by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, other Cabinet members, and 23 members of the Malaysian delegation from the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) humanitarian mission. Anwar shared plans to contact Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for further planning after discussions with Dr Sani and Muhammad Nadir.
The Prime Minister expressed hope that the Rafah crossing will facilitate smoother aid delivery into Gaza, emphasizing the mission's message of solidarity with the struggle of the people of Gaza and Palestine. He stressed that the world must not remain silent in the face of the plight of Gaza, advocating for the basic rights including food, medicine, and education.
Earlier, Dr Sani, the director-general of the Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC), appealed to Anwar to lead the second wave of humanitarian aid via the Rafah crossing as 'chef de mission'. Anwar also commented on Malaysia's support for the proposed 20-point peace plan by United States President Donald Trump to end the Gaza conflict, clarifying that the support is not due to satisfaction with the plan but in a bid to join efforts to end the oppression and violence in Gaza.
He emphasized the importance of diplomatic negotiations in achieving Palestinian independence and highlighted the invitation extended to Trump to the 47th ASEAN Summit as a platform for dialogue. Anwar insisted that this diplomatic approach is necessary to ensure the voice of the Palestinian people is championed internationally, stating that engaging in dialogue is a matter of diplomacy, not surrender.