According to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia will continue to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and will increase its support if needed. Anwar condemned the decision made by some countries to stop their funding for the agency following Israeli claims that the agency’s employees were involved in the Oct 7 attack on Israel. “Every decision is clearly and blatantly biased. What the Israeli say counts. People are dying, babies are dying is irrelevant (for them),” he said in an interview with Al Jazeera Mubasher.
Anwar emphasized the hypocrisy and double standards of those who support freedom and justice but were clearly contradicting in their position when they talk about the freedom of the Palestinians. He stated that it was a horrific experience in modern times where the international community and those in power, particularly in the West, could condone the continued killings of babies and women in Gaza.
Despite being a small country, Anwar said Malaysia had taken a strong, unequivocal position including not recognizing Israel as a state and banning Israeli ships from docking in its ports. “These are the only ways that we can express our support. Other than that, of course, humanitarian assistance and to try and bring injured babies and women to be treated here in our hospitals,” he said.
Anwar stated that he had also directly discussed the situation in Gaza with United States President Joe Biden, despite being aware of Malaysia’s limitations as a small country. “But of course he thinks it’s one leader from a small country of no consequence, it does not matter. I had to play my role. “I have to present the conscience of the majority of Malaysians. Muslims or Hindus or Buddhists or Christians in this country, we believe in freedom, compassion and human rights,” he said.
Malaysia has done what it could and would certainly, without hesitation, support any initiative taken by the Muslim world, particularly the Arab and other neighboring countries, to stop the Israeli aggression in Gaza. Anwar stressed that Malaysia will continue its support for the UNRWA and increase its assistance if needed. He also expressed his disappointment with the international community’s failure to address the issue in Gaza.
He believes that the Malaysian position, despite being a small country, has weight and significance. “We believe that humanity must come first, regardless of religion or race. The focus is on the principle and the values,” he emphasized. Anwar reiterated that Malaysia will continue to express its solidarity with the Palestinians and support efforts to end Israeli aggression in Gaza, highlighting that the country has taken a strong, unwavering stance in this matter.
He also mentioned that the international community has disregarded the plight of the Palestinians and emphasized the need for a concerted effort to address the crisis in Gaza. Anwar condemned the Israeli aggression and reiterated Malaysia’s commitment to supporting the Palestinians. He believes that the international community needs to take a more proactive role in addressing the situation in Gaza and preventing further escalation of the conflict.
Israel had killed more than 27,000 people in the Gaza Strip since Oct 7. The military onslaught has caused mass displacement and destruction and created conditions for famine. – Bernama
