Gilbert Goh's charity needs Palestinian Authority approval, not Singapore's: Ministries

Love Aid Singapore, founded by Singaporean activist Gilbert Goh, does not require the Singapore Government's approval for its humanitarian operations in Palestine, three Singapore Government ministries clarified in a joint statement on Tuesday (Sept 22) evening.

But, as advised by the Palestinian Authority (PA), the charity will still have to register itself with the Ministry of Interior there, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

In two Instagram posts on Sept 16 and 17, Goh had indicated that he will be meeting with the Commissioner of Charities (COC) on Monday.

"As most governments have their own political optics to guard, we also want to respect their geopolitical views and position whenever possible," he said in a Monday post before the meeting.

The 65-year-old returned home from the West Bank on Sept 16, where his charity has been involved in food distribution and education opportunities for children there.

On Goh's intention to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Al-Awda Hospital (AAH), the COC's office clarified that the decision was Love Aid Singapore's to make.

But the COC's office added that the authority had indicated that the hospital is not affiliated with the PA, and that it has no role in the AAH's management.

Love Aid Singapore will therefore have to do its own due diligence before deciding on the collaboration, the COC said.

The ministries added that the Singapore Government encourages Singaporeans to continue supporting humanitarian efforts for Gaza through credible channels such as the Palestinian Authority, international agencies such as UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

There are also local charities such as the Singapore Red Cross and Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation with humanitarian efforts there.

In an earlier meeting with Palestinian Authority Minister of Social Development Dr Samad Hamad on July 22, Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan reaffirmed Singapore's commitment to supporting the Palestinian people in their journey towards eventual statehood.

In addition to capacity building efforts, Singapore has also provided direct humanitarian assistance to Gaza through 11 tranches of support totalling more than US$19 million (S$24.5 million).

新加坡活动家吴庆瑞创立的“爱心援助新加坡”组织在巴勒斯坦开展人道主义行动，无需获得新加坡政府的批准。新加坡政府三个部门于周二（9月22日）晚间发表联合声明予以澄清。

但根据巴勒斯坦权力机构（PA）的建议，该慈善机构仍需向巴勒斯坦内政部注册，文化、社区和青年部（MCCY）、内政部（MHA）和外交部（MFA）表示。

吴作栋在9月16日和17日的两条Instagram帖子中表示，他将于周一与慈善事务专员会面。

“由于大多数政府都有自己的政治形象需要维护，我们也希望尽可能尊重他们的地缘政治观点和立场，”他在会前周一发表的帖子中写道。

这位 65 岁的老人于 9 月 16 日从西岸返回家乡，他所在的慈善机构一直在那里参与食品分发和为当地儿童提供教育机会。

关于吴先生打算与 Al-Awda 医院 (AAH) 签署谅解备忘录一事，COC 办公室澄清说，该决定由 Love Aid Singapore 做出。

但COC办公室补充说，当局已表明该医院与PA没有关联，并且在AAH的管理中没有任何作用。

申办委员会表示，因此，爱心援助新加坡组织在决定是否合作之前，必须自行进行尽职调查。

各部委补充说，新加坡政府鼓励新加坡人继续通过巴勒斯坦权力机构、联合国儿童基金会和世界粮食计划署等国际机构等可信渠道支持加沙的人道主义援助工作。

此外，还有一些当地慈善机构，例如新加坡红十字会和拉赫马坦·利尔·阿拉明基金会，也在当地开展人道主义援助工作。

7月22日，新加坡外交部长维文·巴拉克里希南博士在与巴勒斯坦权力机构社会发展部长萨马德·哈马德博士的会晤中重申了新加坡致力于支持巴勒斯坦人民最终建国的决心。

除了能力建设工作外，新加坡还通过 11 批援助向加沙提供了直接的人道主义援助，总额超过 1900 万美元（2450 万新元）。