 Under The Patronage of
His Royal Highness Sultan Azlan Shah
The Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan
PRESS STATEMENT
MERCY Malaysia thanks Petronas for USD 300k contribution for Palestine Relief Fund
Kuala Lumpur, 9 January 2009 – MERCY Malaysia today received a generous contribution of USD 300,000 from Petronas for the plight of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Moved by the violence in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 700 Palestinians and left thousands more wounded over the past 13 days, Petronas Chairman Tan Sri Hassan Merican made this commitment to the people of the Gaza Strip through MERCY Malaysia.
“PETRONAS’ contribution signifies to us the company’s great commitment to humanitarian effort especially in this hour of great need,” said MERCY Malaysia Acting President, Dr. Ahmad Faizal Mohd Perdaus.
The contribution, which amounts to about RM1 million, is over and above the yearly grant of RM1 million which PETRONAS provides MERCY Malaysia.
“This very significant contribution of USD 300,000 will go along way towards alleviating the suffering of the embattled people of Gaza.
“MERCY Malaysia will utilise these funds in the best possible way to help save lives and improve the overall situation of the affected Palestinian people in Gaza,” said Dr. Faizal.
Cognisant of the urgent needs at hand, Petronas’ headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, within a few hours of making the commitment, transferred the sum to its office in Cairo, Egypt, where it is readily available to the MERCY Malaysia team in Cairo.
As an international non-governmental organisation which works in health and health-related sectors, MERCY Malaysia’s focus would be to coordinate emergency medical supplies for the Palestinians, including medicines and medical equipments.
“Among the types of aid that can be delivered with this contribution from PETRONAS are medical and surgical supplies including surgical sets used in major trauma surgery as well as critical drugs needed by the hospitals in Gaza.
“We are also looking at providing ambulances for the health authorities in Gaza. This will go a long way to alleviate the situation as a number of ambulances belonging to the Palestinians has been destroyed to Israelis,” elaborated Dr. Faizal.
ENDS.
About MERCY Malaysia’s Gaza Emergency Response
MERCY Malaysia deployed a team to Cairo, Egypt on 30 December 2008 as an effort to send assistance to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The team is led by President Datuk Dr. Jemilah Mahmood and accompanied by EXCO member Norazam Ab Samah and programme officer Muhammad Fitri Muhammad Hashim.
The team aims to put together a logistic pipeline to ensure aid will be channelled to the affected Palestinians in Gaza.
The team is working together with Arab Medical Union (AMU) in Cairo, Egypt for procurement and sending medical supply to Gaza through the Egyptian border town of Rafah.
As of 8 January 2009, 50 tonnes of emergency supplies worth USD100, 000 consisting of emergency medical equipment and medicines has gone through the Gaza border. It will be distributed to 13 hospitals in Gaza.
MERCY Malaysia has also launched an emergency appeal and it is planned to continue this emergency response. Further information can be obtained on www.mercy.org.my .
A second team comprising MERCY Malaysia Programme Officer Mohammad Said Alhudzairi and a volunteer was deployed on 8 January 2009.
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