Group to send canned meat to famine areas

Friday February 13, 2009
Group to send canned meat to famine areas
By SHAHRIL CHE WAN


KUALA TERENGGANU: Muslim Aid Asia (MAA) plans to dispatch 174,000 cans of meat to the Islamic states of Palestine, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia and Sudan.

MAA aims to help overcome famine in these states caused by war and widespread natural disasters that have resulted in a scarcity of food supplies over the years.

MAA director Wan Rusli Wan Muda said the aid could provide food to 800,000 victims in these nations.


For a good cause: Pertima Trengganu Sdn Bhd manager Mohammad Latef (left) and Wan Rosli looking at canned meat due for shipment to Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Pakistan next month.

“The shipment will start early next month after the completion of the necessary documentation,” he said here recently.

Wan Rusli added that MAA had received 73 tonnes of meat through the Qurban For Life Programme, a collaboration between MAA and Muslim Aid Australia for the humanitarian mission.

“The slaughtering of sacrificial animals is done at abattoirs in Australia and monitored by Malaysia Islamic Development Department while the canning is done at the Pertima factory in Chendering here,” he said.

The slaughtering, he said, had to be done in Australia as Malaysia had no abattoirs to cope with the heavy task.

Wan Rusli said the canned meat was certified halal by Jakim and the slaughtering was monitored by MAA representatives from Malaysia, Australia and Singapore.

He said that MAA had also delivered RM1.5mil worth of aid in form of food packages, drinking water and medical items to Palestinians.