The UN appears impotent in light of the genocide in Gaza as Western powers block meaningful resolution, Foreign Affairs Minister tells the United Nations
It is now the 80th session of the General Assembly. 80 years since our dreams of a bright future gave birth to the United Nations.
Humanity has imagined the future in many ways.
Among other things, we imagined that in some of its darkest versions, information overload would numb critical thought, while apathy takes over.
I fear that this has come to pass.
80 years after the end of the Second World War, we are watching, in high-definition, as
genocide unfolds around the world.
80 years after the fall of the empires, colonialism is still alive. Armed, funded, and justified by some of the supposedly most liberal powers in the world.
They have defended and supported the only party who has any real power in a conflict, as it makes a farce out of international law.
As we approach the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, I suppose I should say, ‘Congratulations.’ But today, that word rings hollow.
Should we congratulate ourselves on our inability to bring an end to the occupation of Palestine?
Or should we congratulate ourselves for allowing a rogue State to undermine our Charter and our eforts?
In Gaza, the clock is ticking, the bombs are falling, and the light is fading.
We have failed at least 70,000 people Israel can no longer hide behind its pretence of victimhood.
From London to Dhaka, from Paris to Sydney, from Montreal to Kuala Lumpur, populations have spoken out in grief and outrage.
More and more people are standing up for the truth: that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Remember: the eyes of the world are upon us. We must take action now. Sanction Israel.
The metastasis of Israel’s brutality in the Middle East cannot go on.
Their latest assault on Doha was not merely an attack on a few representatives of Hamas.
It was an attack conducted on another State’s soil, and an insult to the eforts of all who have attempted to mediate.
And it is a signal that Israel’s violence will continue to destabilise the region. The efects of this will spill over to the rest of the world.
The atrocities may have begun with Palestine, but they certainly will not end with Palestine.
As the Middle East grows ever more dangerous for its residents, we will feel the reverberations all over the world.
And this is why simply advocating for a two-state solution is not enough. Malaysia will agree to any measure of support for the Palestinian people, including the New York Declaration.
But let us be clear. There are only three real answers to this conflict:
One: To take concrete action against the occupying force.
Two: To lend our long-term support to the development of a self-governing Palestinian State.
Three: To reform the United Nations, and ensure that such a travesty of justice never happens again.
Repeated failures of the Security Council to fulfil the will of the General Assembly must be met with strong resistance.
We must continue to demand accountability from the Permanent Members of the UNSC, through Resolution 76/272: the Veto Initiative.
And we must pursue results through Resolution 377A: Uniting for Peace.
No more shall we quietly accept the dismissal of our collective voice.
We must question and challenge the veto. We must free the Security Council from this humiliating paralysis.
And we must keep the United Nations a relevant and efective international organisation, and global guardian of peace.
Over the course of our Chairmanship of Asean this year, Malaysia too has learnt of the colossal eforts that peace requires.
As a unique example of an inclusive form of multilateralism, ASEAN has embraced change, expanded our membership, and engaged with the world over the past 58 years.
And this is why it has been Malaysia’s honour, and our greatest task yet, to take on Southeast Asia’s challenges this year.
When conflict threatened to spiral between our neighbours, ASEAN did not stand idle.
We stepped in, convened both sides in Malaysia, and implemented a ceasefire – one that ASEAN is now ensuring takes root through active monitoring on the ground.
Yes, challenges remain. But our message is clear: ASEAN will stay at the table, urging both States to honour their commitments. For there is no conflict, whether inter-state or intra-state, that is worth risking the stability of our home.
This is why our eforts to cultivate security and stability in Myanmar, and to restore credibility to the Five-Point Consensus, must continue.
Asean is deeply disappointed that the agreed-upon ceasefires in Myanmar have been broken in some areas, and that violence continues to endanger civilians.
Those in power have a responsibility to remember that Myanmar is part of a region, not an isolated country.
There is a bright and safe future for all of our peoples if we work together in good faith towards a Myanmar-owned, and Myanmar-led resolution to the crisis in the country.
As ASEAN’s focus deepens on bolstering security, strengthening economic resilience, and advancing sustainability goals across the region, we will address not only our internal crises, but also from beyond.
The South China Sea must not be used as leverage in strategic competition. Never again can Southeast Asia and its waters become a theatre for rivalry between the superpowers.
We therefore urge all parties to fully comply with UNCLOS, and to avoid actions that could provoke miscalculation or conflict in the waters we share.
We will also continue to champion the rights and needs of the Global South at large.
For far too long, the Global South has borne the brunt of unequal economic policies that
marginalise and prevent developing nations from participating fairly in the global economy.
And today, the Global South faces a staggering financing gap for sustainable development, despite being home to the world’s most vulnerable populations.
The irony is painful: We constitute the world’s majority, yet remain under-represented in its decision-making, under-served in development financing, and side-lined in global governance.
These imbalances must be corrected. The voices, needs, and aspirations of the Global South are not secondary.
Remember this: We cannot build a fairer international order without the Global South at its centre. Malaysia will continue to advocate for dignity, equity, and opportunity, for all developing nations.
The UN has served the world for 80 years. But the world we live in is shifting beyond any recognition from what it was back then.
The test that we now face is an existential one.
For the question of Palestine has haunted the UN for nearly its entire life. 80 years of the United Nations, and 77 years of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine.
If we cannot resolve this, the citizens of the world will lose faith in us. And in the international order.
Because there is no longer any way to deny that this is modern-day colonisation. Only the formerly colonised have been able to see it for what it is since the start.
And it is genocide, dressed in the cape of Western tolerance. For us to remain relevant, we cannot move forward on the habits of the past. We must summon the same courage that built this organisation from the ruins of war.
Malaysia believes that three urgent reforms are key to our survival:
First: we must limit, if not abolish, the veto. And we must challenge it each and every time that it is wielded, particularly in cases of crimes against humanity.
Second: authority must flow back to the General Assembly.
As the most inclusive body of this house, it should be allowed to serve as the conscience and voice of the world, unimpeded.
Third: we must re-design global financing mechanisms, to ensure transparency and fairness for the Global South.
Reform is no longer a choice. It is our imperative. – September 28, 2025
This is the edited version of Malaysia’s country statement at the United Nations in New York on Sept 27 presented by Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.