KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 — Malaysia has been making optimal use of the global stage and international platforms to urge the world to recognise the state of Palestine and expel Israel from the United Nations, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he had even brought Malaysia’s voice and firm stance on the matter to the recently concluded Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting in Peru, the G20 Summit in Brazil, and the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“We (Malaysia) have been highly vocal. I even proposed to other countries to consider expelling Israel from the UN… we even brought up the issue of Gaza in front of President Joe Biden (of America), President Xi Jinping (of China), and other world leaders.
“During the G20 Summit in Brazil, we also opposed the current UN stance and called for world governance reform, specifically for the UN and the veto power not to be limited to the current (Permanent Five) members, but expanded to include powers such as representatives from Latin America and South Africa.
“How is it that we accept the UN but allow and do nothing when (member) countries violate all of the UN’s and its Security Council’s resolutions? These countries, in particular Israel, should be expelled,” he said during Ministers’ Question Time.
Anwar said this in reply to Mohammed Taufiq Johari (PH-Sungai Petani) who wanted to know the main issues raised by Malaysia at the summits the Prime Minister attended.
He expressed his regret over claims by certain parties that Malaysia recognises Israel, when in fact Malaysia has been one of the most vocal countries in raising the issue of genocide in Gaza.
“The interview with (CNN) Richard Quest, I know it was being played. To his question, I said and stressed that in the context of the UN, membership is considered a matter of statehood, that is de facto recognition, but we have not recognised Israel from the very beginning, since the era of Tunku Abdul Rahman until now.
“If you watch it in its full context, (you’ll see) I slammed Israel relentlessly. I don’t know what else I can do. In Riyadh, Lima, Rio de Janeiro... Malaysia’s voice has been the loudest, so that’s why I don’t understand why this issue needs to be politicised,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that during previous administrations, Israeli trade ships were allowed to enter the country’s ports until 2022, yet no one questioned or penalised this action.
He said as a leader dealing with Western counterparts, he has to act professionally to continue the country’s diplomatic, trade, and investment affairs.
“If we follow the stories on the suffering of the Palestinian people, it’s unbearable… when I see the Western leaders involved, only God knows the disgust I feel, but diplomatic, trade, and investment affairs must continue.
“I still make statements in front of them (on the global stage), I know the risks are there because my statement was always one of the strongest… My friends who attended the session in Riyadh heard when I stressed that even though the Genocide Convention is widely accepted, I went on calling for Israel to be expelled from the UN. I condemned Israel as barbaric, a term I used in my speech in Riyadh — that the barbarism of Israel must stop.
“If somebody takes pieces of the interview out of context, it will not be accurate. If it’s just one word, that’s fine, but it’s not true to associate and insult us in this way. We are at war on this issue because this is not just a political matter, it stems from our beliefs and decades of struggle,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anwar said Malaysia’s stance on several international issues, including the conflict in Gaza and reforms within the UN, does not affect its strong trade relations with the US.
He said Malaysia remains firm in its foreign policy, which upholds the freedom to advocate for rights that reflect the sentiments of its people, including maintaining the "principle of centrality”, as it assumes its Asean leadership next year.
“Our good relations with the US and Europe will continue. They cannot deny us our rights. We are taking the necessary steps to maintain strong ties.
“We have good relations with President Biden and president-elect Donald Trump. However, we must also express the conscience of Malaysians. We take an independent approach and support free trade, which does not hinder our trade relations with China and Russia.
“We must act wisely to sustain good diplomatic relations,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Anwar was responding to a supplementary question from Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman on how Malaysia plans to balance its relations with the US under Trump’s leadership, given its close ties with Palestinian, Russian, and Chinese leaders.
— Bernama
