KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is considering whether or not to boycott the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Economic Leaders’ Week in San Francisco in December. The decision will be based on the stance of its regional partners, according to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
During the Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Oct 30), Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (PN-Machang) asked if Malaysia planned to boycott Apec in solidarity with Palestine.
Anwar responded by saying, “We are looking into it. We have contacted Asean and China on their position and we will make a decision based on the position of our friends.”
The United States has exerted pressure on Malaysia regarding its stance in the Palestine-Israel conflict, as confirmed by Anwar. He stated, “The Malaysian envoy to the United States was called by American authorities, who questioned our stance on the conflict, especially the violence inflicted by Israel on Gaza. Our ambassador firmly stated our position.”
Anwar also emphasized that Malaysia refused to condemn Hamas’ actions and classify the group as terrorists, which is why they faced pressure from the United States. He added, “I was informed by the Foreign Ministry that Malaysia received a demarche from the US Embassy on Oct 13.”
On Oct 30, a US embassy official requested that Malaysia use diplomatic channels to discourage a country from exploiting the conflict by involving themselves through a proxy in the Gaza conflict. Although the country was not explicitly mentioned, it is believed that the United States was referring to Iran.
Malaysia will now evaluate the positions of its regional partners, including Asean and China, before making a final decision on attending the Apec Economic Leaders’ Week in San Francisco. The country’s stance on the Palestine-Israel conflict remains a central factor influencing this decision.
