KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 — The Special Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting to assess the latest developments in the ongoing border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand has been postponed, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Both neighbouring countries had requested a slight postponement of the meeting, which was initially scheduled for tomorrow.
“They (Cambodia and Thailand) asked for a slight postponement of the meeting. So, we are postponing it to ensure everything is in order.
“However, we continue to appeal to both sides to stop the fighting. The situation is very critical, and I remain in virtual contact with them on a daily basis,” he said when asked about the latest developments in the border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand.
Anwar was speaking to the media after officiating at the launch of the book The Man Who Could Move Mountains: Reflections on the Social Activism of S.M. Mohamed Idris, at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia today.
Also present were Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul, IAIS chairman Prof Maszlee Malik, and Malaysian National News Agency chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai.
Commenting on news reports that Thailand has imposed a sea blockade in the Gulf of Thailand to prevent strategic supplies from reaching Cambodia, the Prime Minister said negotiations are ongoing to de-escalate the situation between the two Asean member states.
Malaysia had earlier called on both Thailand and Cambodia to cease all forms of hostilities and refrain from any further military action, including the deployment of armed troops to the front lines, starting at 10pm on December 13, Thailand–Cambodia time (11pm Malaysian time).
He said the appeal was conveyed through separate telephone conversations with Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet, following his discussion with United States President Donald Trump, in view of the ongoing tensions along the border between the two countries.
Manet and Anutin signed a peace accord on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit on October 26, witnessed by Anwar and Trump.
Under the peace accord, Thailand and Cambodia agreed to end hostilities and foster good neighbourly relations.
Thailand and Cambodia have long been in dispute over their 817-kilometre border.
