PUTRAJAYA, March 16 — Malaysia has stressed the importance of preventing tensions in West Asia from escalating into a wider conflict among Muslim countries.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this was communicated in the second round of discussion with leaders of Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkiye recently.
“During the discussions, we (Malaysia) also express concern because whilst the perpetrators are Israel and the supporters, the impact is felt throughout the Muslim world, particularly the Middle East, Turkiye and Azerbaijan.
“Now, because of the protracted warfare and continuous attacks, we are seeing ramifications across the world,” he said during the launch of the Mushaf Malaysia MADANI programme today.
Anwar added that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also assured him that tensions arising from its conflicts with Israel and the United States will not escalate into skirmishes among Muslim countries.
“It is a difficult and complex situation. When a country faces this sort of sheer display of arrogance, even what I would describe as neo-imperialistic design, it is difficult to ask them simply to contain themselves,” he said.
The Prime Minister also reiterated Malaysia’s concern over the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and warned against attempts to exploit the crisis for political purposes.
Anwar stressed that unity and cooperation were necessary to sustain peace and prosperity.
“We have seen the sufferings of our brothers and sisters, not only in Iran, but across the region. Calamities are befalling the whole region, particularly affecting the poor.
“And still, some irresponsible elements are exploiting the case and using it as a political weapon, weaponising it to attack," he said.
On the domestic front, the situation in West Asia had caused significant and real economic ramifications for Malaysia, including higher subsidy commitments to maintain fuel prices.
Anwar noted that maintaining the current RON95 petrol price was part of the government’s efforts to ease the people’s burden, as Malaysia’s fuel prices remained among the lowest globally, compared with several neighbouring countries.
However, the current situation was imposing a substantial fiscal cost.
“It is costing us an additional subsidy of RM2 billion a month now to maintain the price,” he said, adding that if prices rise further, the cost would increase accordingly.
Despite criticism from some quarters, the government will continue to weigh the implications carefully while prioritising the welfare of the people, particularly the poor.
