The special Dewan Rakyat sitting to discuss the motion on Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH17 incident today also became a platform to raise the sufferings of the Palestinians in Gaza.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said Malaysia never forgets the Palestinian people although the country is saddened by the tragedy that befell MH17.

"Therefore, we call for an immediate ceasefire," he said when tabling a motion on the MH incident.

The Israeli military attacks on Gaza since July 8 had claimed the lives of more than 600 Palestinian people and injured more than 3,500 people, with more than 80,000 of its people homeless.

Earlier, more than 200 youths, representing several institutions of higher learning and non-governmental organisations, gathered at the exit to the Parliament building to show their support for the government over its handing of the MH17 incident.

They began arriving at the scene at 7.30 am and wore black T-shirt with #justice4mh17 written on it. Some of them were seen holding banners written with the same words, and a few holding the national flag.

Prime minister's youngest son, Mohd Norashman, was also in the group.

"We want to pass the message to the public and members of parliament that the youths are affected by this tragic incident and sympathise with families and friends of the victims," he said when met by reporters.

Flight MH17 was flying 298 passengers and crew, 44 of them Malaysians, from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it went down in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine last Thursday.

- Bernama