KUALA LUMPUR: There will be no second mission to bring more Palestinians to Malaysia, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
"We need to understand that while 70,000 Palestinians can enter and stay in Egypt, the country cannot support all of them. Therefore, we help as many as we can," he told a press conference following the simultaneous opening of the Umno Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri General Assembly yesterdat.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the ministry would help to provide medical aid and subsequently repatriate all the Palestinians to their home country.
"I have discussed with Palestinian leaders and they do not wish to leave their homeland. They are willing to die in their country. They want to return to their own land and do not want to be pushed out," he said.
Earlier, in his opening speech, Mohamad, who is also Umno deputy president, emphasised that Malaysia will continue to do everything it can to support the Palestinian struggle against the cruelty and tyranny of the Israeli Zionist regime.
He also criticised the world's major powers for their refusal to stop Israel from committing atrocities against the Palestinian people.
The Umno General Assembly is being held from today until Aug 24 at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre, with 6,433 delegates participating.-- BERNAMA