KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that the world must wake up and see the stark hypocrisy through the situation unfolding in Gaza.
Anwar said there is too much contradiction and hypocrisy in the arena of international politics, and it must be stopped.
“Well I would say that a good student of history and geopolitics wouldn’t be necessarily surprised. You talk about human rights at one end, and you deny rights to the others, for example, I make reference, you condemn Russia for the aggression because of Russia’s decision to take a Russian enclave in Ukraine, fair.
“That is condemned but with the Israeli aggression and taking over of legitimate Palestinian land, that is condoned, not only that, it is supported and defended,” he said in an interview with Arab News on Friday, on the sidelines of the inaugural Asean-GCC Summit in Riyadh.
Describing the situation in Gaza as “insanity”, Anwar said Malaysia remains steadfast on its stand that the aggression and the ignorance towards women and children in Gaza, by making them suffer, must be stopped.
“I cannot understand why Israelis don’t understand that what was a Holocaust episode in the past is now being imposed on others,” he said.
Commenting on the opening remarks by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman at the summit, Anwar said Malaysia was fully behind the efforts of Saudi Arabia and the GCC to bring the crisis to a close and prevent the outbreak of a wider war.
“… Immediately, my response was to thank (the Crown Prince) and to say that we are with you and the GCC, because what you say when you take the lead, it will have a powerful impact as compared to Asean nations, which are quite a distant land.
“Without exaggeration, to say that the opening remarks of the Crown Prince were very touching to me, they were passionate and it is timely that a leader in the Arab world takes a firm position on humanitarian grounds,” he said.
He added that the Crown Prince has played a pivotal role in the region, including hosting and coordinating the GCC and Asean Riyadh Summit.
Thanking the Crown Prince, Anwar said the “diplomatic nuances” would then be to specifically discuss how big companies in the Gulf countries could work with Malaysian firms in terms of research, new technology, green transmission, trade and investment.
Meanwhile, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Anwar urged the international community to do everything in its power to guarantee peace in the Gaza Strip since thousands of innocent lives have been lost due to the attack by Israel.
Anwar said Malaysia believes everyone must work together to stop the continued killing practised by Israel in Palestine, specifically in the Gaza Strip, which affects the lives of innocent people in hospitals and public places.
“We took a very strong position together, with our brothers, friends, allies and neighbours. This heinous act must end. The international community must do everything in its power to guarantee peace.
“And I mean peace for all (…) but Gaza is now under siege, and people are struggling to live, there is no water, no electricity, no food and no medicine. The situation is truly tragic,” the prime minister said. – October 22, 2023