ISTANBUL – Malaysia regrets the stance adopted by several Western nations seen as unwilling to support humanitarian issues in Gaza, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
He said Malaysia is resolute in its position that all forms of attacks on civilians, including Palestinian women and children, must be stopped, and humanitarian assistance must be provided to them.
However, he mentioned that several Arab leaders he has met with so far have provided positive responses to the issues raised by Malaysia regarding the developments in Gaza.
“Many Islamic countries have made positive determinations. Stop the attacks and intensify efforts to assist the people of Gaza from a humanitarian perspective,” he said during a press conference at the end of his two-day working visit to Turkiye.
Earlier, Anwar had a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Vahdettin Palace here, where they discussed various issues, including trade, economic cooperation, bilateral relations and more.
Prior to that, the prime minister also held meetings with Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and the country’s National Intelligence Organisation director Ibrahim Kalin.
Anwar said that Turkiye was seen as being at the forefront in terms of providing aid to the Palestinian people, as the country had worked on channelling various forms of medical aid to Gaza despite the logistical issues.
Meanwhile, the prime minister said the conflict in Gaza was worrisome because if Israel persisted in invading and capturing the territory, it would lead to a prolonged crisis involving many Arab countries.
Describing the situation in Gaza as “insanity”, he said Malaysia remains steadfast on its stand that the aggression and the apathy towards women and children in Gaza must be stopped.
“I cannot understand why Israelis don’t understand that what was a Holocaust episode in the past is now being imposed on others,” he said.
Anwar later departed from Istanbul to continue his working visit in Egypt where he is expected to hold a meeting with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, with humanitarian issues to continue to be the main topic of discussion.
Speaking in Cairo last night, the prime minister had urged all parties, including the world’s major powers, to work towards a ceasefire in Gaza to ease tensions in the region.
He said the killing of children, women and innocent Palestinians in Gaza must stop.
"Malaysia is not a big country, not an Arab country, not a Gulf country that neighbours Palestine. But we are responsible for voicing the conscience of the Ummah and the Palestinian people," he said when speaking at the meet-and-greet session with the Malaysian diaspora and students in Egypt here last night.
Anwar also regretted the stance adopted by several Western powers that did not seem interested in stopping the cruelty, oppression and killing of Palestinians in Gaza, besides being cold towards the efforts of sending humanitarian aid to Gaza. – Bernama, October 23, 2023
