PRIME Minister Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim has questioned the Opposition’s stand on Israel when they were in power after it began twisting his remarks made in a recent interview with CNN.
"I want to know the Opposition’s stance about Israel when they were in government.
“When the Opposition was in power, why did they allow an Israeli ship to dock at Port Klang?
“Why did they allow an Israeli aircraft to enter our (sovereign) air space," Anwar told a press conference in his just concluded visit to Lima, Peru.
Anwar is now visiting Brazil where Malaysia was invited as a guest for the G20 Summit.
The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
It plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance on all major international economic issues.
The G20 is made up of 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Russia, Türkiye, UK and USA) and two regional bodies: the African Union and the European Union.
The members of the G20 represent around 85% of the world's GDP, more than 75% of world trade and around two-thirds of the world's population.
Reiterating the strong stance against Israel for their alleged genocide towards the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, Anwar again stressed that Putrajaya has never diplomatically recognised the existence of the state of Israel.
"Do we also allow Israel to use our air space? The answer is a simple no."
He accused the Opposition of trying to mislead the people, of trying to fool the citizens by the way of slander and lies as well as trying to exploit the religion for political mileage.
"We are stern on our stance and policies but the Opposition tries to find one statement to mislead the people even when they do not understand what is going on. They have an evil intention," the Tambun MP said.
Anwar pointed out that Malaysia was the most vocal nation, which is stern towards Israel due to the Middle East nation's violent past and present.
"Our stance is consistent - We are vocal against Israel's policies."
Because of the alleged genocide, Anwar said that Malaysia's stance is that Israel's right to defend itself is tied to its attitude towards Palestinians.
"We oppose the form of violence, colonialism and cruelty used by Israel. Their inhumane acts have caused the lives of thousands of innocents."
Anwar also said that Malaysia does not recognise Israel and has mooted a motion in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) that the country needs to be expelled from the United Nations.
"If the people ask me if Israel exists, my reply is yes but do we recognise them, my affirmation is a straight no," said Anwar. - The Vibes, November 17, 2024.
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