KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — Malaysia and several other countries are concerned about the shortcomings in the 20-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza proposed by United States (US) President Donald Trump, said Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin.
In the plan, Trump did not clearly mention reconciliation and the total withdrawal of troops, as well as determining the direction of the Palestinian state, which the Palestinian people themselves must decide.
However, he said Malaysia saw that the plan also had some positives in dealing with the crisis in Gaza, including immediately stopping Israeli attacks on the region.
"With this 20-point peace plan, we hope there will be a halt to bombing, genocide and destruction. The most important thing is that this plan paves the way for the world to channel humanitarian aid to Gaza.
"As such, this is something we welcome. However, several issues need to be paid attention to in the plan, as there is concern, including among other nations, that there are loopholes in it,” Mohamad said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was replying to Ledang MP Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh's supplementary question regarding Malaysia's position on the 20-point peace plan proposed by Trump in relation to the genocide in Gaza, as well as the concerns raised by various parties over the expected presence of the US President at the Asean Summit at the end of this month.
Regarding Trump's attendance at the Asean Summit, Mohamad clarified that, as Asean chair, Malaysia is obligated to invite all Asean dialogue partners, without exception, in line with the principles of regional neutrality and centrality, and not based solely on bilateral relations.
The nation will use the meeting with Trump to convey its stance and concerns regarding Israel's atrocities against Palestine.
"Most importantly, cooperation between Malaysia, Asean, and the US can be strengthened in an effort to establish an independent Palestinian state and free Palestine from the threat of genocide and destruction.
"We also want to ensure there is support for the rebuilding of Gaza in the future,” he said.