KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today revealed that Malaysia had received three demarche notes from the US embassy for the country’s firm stance against designating Hamas as a terrorist group.
Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat that the notes were received via the Foreign Ministry on October 13, 18 and 30.
“I was informed by the Foreign Ministry that we received the demarche notes from the US embassy.
“This is due to our reluctance to oppose Hamas and consider them as a terrorist group,” he said during Prime Minister’s Question Time (PMTQ) today.
He said the US embassy had asked Malaysia to discontinue that stance.
A demarche is a request or intercession with a foreign official, a request for support of a policy, or a protest about the host government’s policies or actions.
“I have already said that Malaysia will maintain its independent position based on humanitarian consideration as it views the invasion as unlawful and against all international norms,” Anwar told Suhaizan Kaiat (Pulai-PH).
Suhaizan had earlier asked about the kinds of threats that Malaysia received from Western nations in view of its stance on Palestine.
Anwar called on all Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, not to be divided by the Palestine-Israel conflict.
He said the struggles of the Palestinians were similar to the time Malaysia was fighting for its independence.
“We gained our independence after we fought against British rule and rejected colonialism.
“But why are some now being restrained when it comes to the Israeli occupation of Palestine?
“We must not have double standards when it comes to independence and though Malaysia supports the principle of exceptionality, it does not apply when it comes to injustice and the deaths of thousands of children,” he added. – The Vibes, October 31, 2023
