KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — Malaysia is now prioritising the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza via the land route following the reopening of the Rafah border crossing, which is seen as a more efficient and secure option, said Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
He added that the reopened crossing has provided the government with a better alternative to ensure critical supplies directly reach Palestinians.
In this regard, he said anyone taking part in humanitarian missions such as the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) in the future will be making an entirely personal choice.
“Their participation in such programmes is a personal decision based on their principles to fight for the cause of Palestine and Gaza. The government will provide assistance should any problems arise. Since the border crossing has been reopened, it is good for us to send aid so its impact can be felt,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Ahmad Saad@Yahaya (PN-Pokok Sena) on post-GSF mission planning and efforts to boost support for Palestine among Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members.
Lukanisman said that despite prioritising the land route, Malaysia still recognises the importance of other missions as a means of exerting pressure, attracting international media attention, and demanding accountability from Israel.
He said that various forms of Malaysian aid, including food, medicine and solar lamps, have been channelled to Gazans thanks to the effectiveness of the current approach.
Lukanisman added that Wisma Putra continues to strengthen multilateral strategic cooperation and collective diplomatic pressure through the OIC, United Nations, and European Union.
He said the effort includes Malaysia’s active involvement in driving cross-sector support through the Brussels Declaration, which gathered the voices of MPs, politicians, and the civil societies across Europe and Malaysia.
“Efforts are being made to build collective diplomatic pressure to ensure that the Palestinian issue continues to receive due attention and action at the international level,” he said.
Responding to Ahmad’s original question, Lukanisman said the government strongly condemned the Zionist regime’s violent actions in detaining participants of the GSF 2.0 mission, while expressing appreciation to Turkiye for assisting in the rescue and safe return of all 29 Malaysian volunteers.
