KUALA LUMPUR – The Palestinian ambassador to Malaysia has clarified details of sending humanitarian aid to Palestine amid allegations made by embattled non-governmental organisation (NGO) Aman Palestin Bhd.
In a response to Scoop, Walid Abu Ali said the Palestinian embassy here coordinates with the Malaysian Foreign Ministry and its humanitarian mission, Ops Ihsan, to facilitate aid to Gaza via Egypt’s Al-Arish Airport – one of the closest airports to the Gaza Strip.
The envoy also said the Egyptian Red Crescent Society is involved in efforts to facilitate the handing over of donations to Palestinians.
“As far as we know, there are items (part of the humanitarian mission) rejected by the Israeli authorities and not allowed to reach Gaza,” Walid added.
Yesterday, Aman Palestin, which is currently under Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation, claimed that allegations of donations not reaching Palestinians are merely a “misunderstanding”.
The NGO’s board chairman, Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman, said the accusation could be linked to how the funds had not been channelled through the Palestinian embassy here.
“It’s not because NGOs do not send the funds. Malaysian NGOs, especially Aman Palestin, have delivered the funds since 18 years ago.
“Why do (they) say that we did not deliver? It is because we do not channel them through the Palestinian Ambassador to Malaysia,” Zaik said during a press conference, which was also attended by Global Coalition of Palestine and Al-Quds secretary-general Sheikh Munir Saeed.
However, Zaik did not elaborate on the organisation’s procedures when channelling funds to Palestine.
The MACC previously uncovered that more than RM70 million of Aman Palestin’s funds were funnelled to a company, which allegedly used the monies to make cash investments as well as buy gold and property.
It was also reported that investigators found that the company owned 27 assets, such as buildings and plots of land, as well as money being transferred to other companies.
In one of its five raids on the Aman Palestin office and homes of three of its officials, the anti-graft agency reportedly seized four 1kg Grade 999.9 gold bullion bars, among other items.
In October, Walid reminded Malaysians against contributing to dubious donation drives claiming to help Palestinians affected by the violence in Gaza.
Speaking to Scoop, the diplomat stressed the importance of ensuring that donations intended for Palestinians reach their intended recipients, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability in the channels utilised for humanitarian aid. – November 28, 2023