Malaysia Accommodates 15 Palestinian Prisoners Released By Israel

JAKARTA - The Malaysian government will carry out strict supervision of 15 Palestinians who are planning to be relocated to neighboring countries.

Malaysian MADANI government spokesman Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said Malaysian Foreign Minister (Menlu) Mohamad Hasan had discussed this in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, March 19.

According to Fahmi, Malaysian security agencies will monitor the movement of 15 Palestinian citizens who will be subject to strict requirements regarding their activities in Malaysia.

"They are not here yet (Malaysia), but the review process on various aspects is ongoing," Fahmi said at a weekly press conference, quoted from Bernama, Thursday, March 20.

Fahmi explained that the process of bringing in the 15 Palestinians was in line with the decision of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to relocate 380 Palestinians who were previously detained by Israel to a number of member countries.

About 380 prisoners were released but not allowed to return to Palestine. Therefore, several countries, such as Qatar and Turkey, agreed to accept 100 Palestinian nationals each, while Malaysia received 15 people, "said Fahmi.

On Tuesday 18 March, Malaysian Foreign Minister said his country was ready to accept 15 Palestinians detained and Israel has just released them as part of the terms of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

He emphasized that Malaysia will continue to support the Palestinian independence struggle. He views this decision as appropriate without burdening the country.

The 15 Palestinians have been detained by Israel for 20 to 30 years without undergoing a trial.]