KUALA LUMPUR – The authorities have yet to be notified of the recently announced gatherings, organised by PAS members in solidarity with the Palestinian people, scheduled for this Friday.
When asked, Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Allaudeen Abdul Majid told Scoop the police have not received any information on the event.
“No information to police (sic),” he said in a brief text message.
This morning, PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hasssan gave instructions for the mobilisation of all party forces to take to the streets in a show of their solidarity with Palestine on October 13 (Friday).
The party also gave assurances the gathering will not disrupt the tabling of the national budget in Parliament on the same day at 4pm.
Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the Dewan Rakyat today that everyone is allowed to take to the streets to show their solidarity with Palestinians, regardless of one’s political affiliations.
“Insya-Allah, this Friday, we don’t need any political party or organisations to take to the streets to show our solidarity with Palestinians. Together, we all take to the streets to show our solidarity.”
Budget 2024 is still scheduled to be tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also finance minister, in the Dewan Rakyat on Friday at 4pm.
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”.
Palestine’s Health Ministry said the death toll from the Israeli bombings in the Gaza Strip has risen to 413, including 78 children and 41 women.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that more than 123,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict escalates. – October 9, 2023