PAS urges special Parliament debate on M'sians detained by Israel

Summary

• PAS condemned Israel’s detention of 23 Malaysians and other activists in the Global Sumud Flotilla humanitarian mission, urging the government to convene a special parliamentary sitting to debate the matter.

• PAS demanded the government to act through diplomatic channels to secure their release, and to press Asean, the OIC, and the UN to hold Israel accountable.

PAS has condemned the “unlawful and illegitimate detention” of 23 Malaysians, along with international participants of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) humanitarian mission, by Israeli forces while they were en route to deliver aid to Gaza.

The GSF mission is an international effort involving 500 activists, including Malaysians, to break the blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid.

In a statement today, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan called on the government to convene a special sitting of the Parliament on Oct 6, to allow the matter and related issues to be debated.

“Accordingly, PAS urges the Malaysian government to immediately convene a special session during the upcoming parliamentary sitting on Oct 6, to enable this incident and related issues to be debated.

“This would allow the Malaysian Parliament to adopt an official resolution as the collective voice of all Malaysians, represented by their elected MPs,” he said.

Takiyuddin also urged the Foreign Affairs Ministry to act swiftly to secure the safety and release of those detained.

He pointed out that the detention by Israel was a clear violation of international law and the Geneva Convention, and an affront to global humanitarian efforts as guaranteed by international conventions.

At the same time, Takiyuddin said Malaysia should also lead at the regional level, by pressing international bodies to hold Israel accountable.

“The Malaysian government must take a leading role at the regional level, by urging Asean, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the United Nations (UN) to press Israel to end its blockade and threats against legitimate humanitarian missions,” he said.

He emphasised that the Malaysian Parliament must be proactive and cannot be silent on the issue.

“Humanitarian solidarity and the defence of Palestinian rights are a shared responsibility of all Malaysians, regardless of political affiliation or religious backgrounds,” he said.

Detained activists received legal aid

The activists detained by Israel yesterday have received legal aid from the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (Adalah) for their deportation and detention hearing, said lawyer Fahmi Abd Moin.

Fahmi, who is part of the Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (Centhra)’s team of lawyers, told Malaysiakini they are closely monitoring the situation while being in direct communication with Adalah.

He added that one of the main legal concerns involving the detained Malaysians was their documentation, as the state of Israel is not recognised by Malaysia.

Apart from Fahmi, four other lawyers - Azril Amin, Kheizwan Kamaruddin, Ahmad Nazrin Abu Bakar, and Luqman Mazlan - are assisting the Malaysian delegates in legal matters as well as conducting a watching brief for the mission.

Yesterday, around 10.45pm Malaysian time, GSF said that Israeli immigration authorities have begun conducting hearings on the detainees’ deportation and detention orders in Ashdod port, which were initiated without prior notice to the detainees’ lawyers and that the participants were denied access to legal counsel.

The Malaysian embassy in Amman, Jordan, said in a statement today that it is closely monitoring the developments.

US embassy agrees to accept memorandum

In a related development, the United States embassy in Kuala Lumpur has agreed to accept a memorandum from PKR Youth chief Kamil Munim, following his second attempt to hand over the document.

Representatives from the embassy had reportedly refused to receive the document yesterday, citing security concerns, when Kamil first attempted to deliver the memorandum during an anti-Israel protest outside the embassy. He had said he would attempt the handover again today.

In a brief media invitation to cover the handover, members of the press were informed that the embassy had contacted Kamil and confirmed its agreement to accept the document.

In a statement later, he said the memorandum calls for urgent accountability from the US over Israel’s unlawful interception and detention of GSF participants, which included international activists and Malaysian volunteers delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The demands include the immediate and unconditional release of all activists and volunteers, as well as an end to unconditional US political, financial, and military support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.

The group also demanded that the US uphold international law through accountability mechanisms at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - the United Nations’ principal judicial body that settles disputes between states - and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which prosecutes individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

About four protests have taken place in Kuala Lumpur since yesterday, urging the United States, a staunch ally of Israel, to take action. Another large-scale protest is also planned for tomorrow.

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