Monday February 2, 2009

Heart-wrenching facts of plight

PUTRAJAYA: Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Depart- ment Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi shed tears as they watched a video clip of the atrocities and suffering that Palesti- nians have to endure each day.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s wife and Ahmad Zahid saw mothers wailing as they cradled the lifeless bodies of their dead children and the forlorn look of a child who lost his parents.

Rosmah, who is the patron for the Humanitarian Appeal Fund, was the guest of honour at a ceremony to hand over donations by the public at mosques from all over the country. A total of RM2.7mil was collected during prayers on three Fridays recently.

In her speech, Rosmah called on Malaysians to maintain peace and harmony so that war would not happen in the country.

“We have seen what war can do to a country and its people. It is always the children that will suffer most.

“Let us not fight; let us live in peace so that our children can go to school and live a happy and peaceful life like we currently do,” she said.

Rosmah also thanked Malaysians for their generosity, adding that despite economic uncertainty and difficulties, many were willing to dig into their pockets to provide assistance in the name of humanity,

“We hope that contributions by caring Malaysians will be used to rebuild schools and provide medical care to those in need. Our prayers and thoughts are with the Palesti- nians,” she said.