Putrajaya, Malaysia, March 28, SPA -- An international campaignsimilar to the one against South Africa's former apartheidpolicy is needed to create an independent Palestinian stateexisting peacefully with Israel, the Malaysian primeminister said Monday. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi expressed hope that athree-day conference of civil society delegates beginningMonday would initiate such a campaign. Abdullah said the "Peace in Palestine" conference should"intensify the international campaign for a sovereign andindependent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem (Al-Quds) as itscapital, living side by side in peace and harmony withIsrael." "If a global campaign could be launched, not unlike the(one) against apartheid in South Africa, (it) might indeedsucceed in influencing the concerned parties to achieve apeaceful resolution," Abdullah said in a published messagedistributed to conference delegates. More than 300 activists, legal experts and academics areparticipating in the conference, organized by the People'sAlliance for Peace Malaysia, a coalition of 1,100nongovernmental associations, religious groups and politicalparties.--SPA1146 Local Time 0846 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/250326