MALAYSIA will not, for now, join the proposed Board of Peace for Palestine, maintaining that any credible peace effort must prioritise ending Israel’s occupation and be grounded in international law.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said it remained unclear whether the Board of Peace would move decisively to address the fundamental causes of the Israel-Palestine conflict, including what he described as Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and ongoing violations of international law.
"Although there are many countries that have made significant commitments towards the development and reconstruction of Gaza, this Board of Peace is seen as not focusing on the more critical matter, namely ending Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine, as well as the prospects towards a two-state solution.
"In principle, Malaysia supports any global effort to achieve lasting peace in Palestine.
"However, we have consistently emphasised that lasting peace in Palestine can only be achieved through an inclusive and comprehensive solution, based on international law," he said in a written parliamentary reply published on the Parliament website.
The response was issued to a question from Senator Datuk Shamsuddin Abd Ghaffar regarding Malaysia’s position and involvement in the Board of Peace initiative alongside several ASEAN countries.
Mohamad said Malaysia believed peace-building efforts should be pursued through inclusive, transparent multilateral mechanisms founded on international consensus, particularly via recognised platforms such as the United Nations and existing regional cooperation frameworks.
While several ASEAN member states, including Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam, have opted to participate in the Board of Peace, Mohamad said their decisions were made on the basis of their own national considerations and that Malaysia respected the sovereign choices of fellow member states.
"Malaysia will continue to prioritise peaceful diplomacy, constructive dialogue and regional cooperation anchored in ASEAN centrality.
"At the same time, Malaysia remains committed to working closely with all regional partners in promoting peace, stability and shared prosperity, in line with our foreign policy," he said.
Separately, the Embassy of Malaysia in Doha has advised Malaysians in Qatar to remain vigilant, warning that the security situation in the country and the wider Gulf region has yet to stabilise fully following recent developments.
In a notice posted on the embassy’s official Facebook page on Monday, it said the latest reported incidents occurred in the Ras Laffan and Mesaieed industrial areas, though only minor damage was recorded.
"Therefore, all Malaysians in Qatar are advised to remain vigilant and not to go out except for essential matters," the notice stated.
In a separate post, the embassy said it was undertaking a data collection exercise to update records of Malaysians residing in or stranded in Qatar to ensure information remains current and complete.
"The measure is intended to enable important information to be conveyed more quickly and accurately, if required," it said, adding that the link was available on its official Facebook page.
Regional tensions escalated on Saturday after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, reportedly killing several senior Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In response, Tehran launched drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and United States assets in Gulf states. - March 3, 2026
