In a speech on Genocide Memorial Day, former Foreign Minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar urged the Malaysian government to take legal action in local courts against those responsible for acts of genocide, setting an international precedent.
He emphasized the importance of Malaysia consistently participating in international discussions and taking legal actions to support Palestinians within the established international legal framework.
Syed Hamid stressed the importance of pressuring International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan to take the investigation into Israeli crimes more seriously.
He suggested that the Malaysian High Court could be utilized to bring Israeli leaders to court by the Attorney General on behalf of either Gaza victims or Malaysian citizens who were in Gaza during the genocide.
Syed Hamid made these comments at GMD 2024, which is a day dedicated to remembering, reflecting, and raising awareness about man’s inhumanity to man.
He criticized the ICC for evading its responsibilities regarding Palestine and criticized its slow pace of investigation compared to its prompt action in connection with Ukraine.
Despite Malaysia not being a party to the Rome Statute, Syed Hamid urged the country to refuse to be a part of the silence and to employ its diplomatic and economic influence to effect tangible change.
He called on Malaysia to engage with international bodies and support resolutions to condemn the acts of genocide.
Malaysia recently endorsed South Africa’s efforts at the International Criminal Court to uphold justice and condemn Israel’s actions in Palestine.
Genocide Memorial Day was started in 2010 to commemorate past and ongoing genocides while advocating the prevention of genocide. Since then, it has drawn a range of speakers, varied audiences, and activists from diverse backgrounds, shining a light on genocidal acts that often do not receive adequate exposure from the mainstream media. – Bernama
