OTHER nations should not interfere in the South China Sea dispute where China is asserting its authority, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Malaysian prime minister said the matter should be resolved by the affected countries in the region, saying that the interference of other nations will only further aggravate the situation.
“Asia did discuss its position (over the South China Sea). Ideally, take a multi-level position in this engagement with China,” said Anwar to a question posed during his public lecture held at the University of California in Berkeley, near San Francisco on Tuesday (California time).
Anwar is in San Francisco to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) leaders’ summit, which begins on Wednesday. He was invited to deliver a public address on the sidelines during his visit to the city.
He said that the South China Sea territorial dispute is more contentious for Vietnam and the Philippines, and not so for Malaysia.
But he reiterated that Malaysia’s position is that the dispute should be resolved within the Asian region through pragmatic engagement with China.
Anwar’s remarks came in view of the meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during the Apec summit here.
Clarifying Malaysia’s position on Gaza conflict
Meanwhile, Anwar also urged global action against the spread of misinformation on social media.
He condemned deceptive narratives spun about Malaysia’s stand on the Palestinian-Israel conflict.
“Malaysia's historical reputation for moderation faces challenges from intolerant ideologies spread through social media.
“As I had declared in the Malaysian parliament, there are no two ways about it,” he said.
“We condemn terrorism, in all its forms, and we categorically condemn the actions of killing innocent lives and taking women and children as hostages…
“This is about preventing more deaths, more suffering and more hate. Proponents of the Palestinian cause are neither purveyors of hate speech, nor supporters of terrorism.”
Anwar stressed that there is an urgent need for government intervention and international cooperation to combat misinformation.
He called on tech companies to implement advanced technological solutions and robust content moderation. – The Vibes, November 15, 2023
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