MALAYSIA has renewed its call for sweeping reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), warning that the unchecked use of veto power is obstructing efforts to end conflicts and respond to humanitarian crises, particularly in Gaza.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, addressing the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, declared: "We must question and challenge the veto. We must free the Security Council from this humiliating paralysis."
"The veto has been used far too often to block global efforts to halt atrocities, with innocent lives left to pay the price," he said, describing the mechanism as a major barrier to peace.
Mohamad specifically condemned the United States' latest veto—its sixth—of a UNSC resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution, backed by 14 of the Council's 15 members, described the humanitarian situation as "catastrophic".
"No more shall we quietly accept the dismissal of our collective voice," he said.
He urged that authority be returned to the General Assembly, which he described as the most inclusive body of the UN and "the conscience and voice of the world".
Citing the longstanding issue of Palestine, Mohamad noted that for 77 of the UN’s 80-year history, the world body has been "haunted" by what he termed the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians.
"If we cannot resolve this, the citizens of the world will lose faith in us and in the international order, because there is no longer any way to deny that this is modern-day colonisation," he said.
Malaysia has also called for sanctions against Israel, with Mohamad accusing the country of genocide. "From London to Dhaka, from Paris to Sydney, from Montreal to Kuala Lumpur, populations have spoken out in grief and outrage. More and more people are standing up for the truth: that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza," he told the Assembly.
Over 65,000 Palestinians—many of them women and children—have been killed since Israel began its latest military campaign in Gaza in October 2023, according to figures cited by Mohamad. More than 166,000 have been wounded, and nearly a quarter of a million displaced.
He condemned Israel’s impunity and the inaction of international powers: "Israel can no longer hide behind its pretence of victimhood."
"As we approach the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, I suppose I should say 'congratulations.' But today, that word rings hollow. Should we congratulate ourselves on our inability to bring an end to the occupation of Palestine? Or for allowing a rogue state to undermine our Charter and our efforts?"
He warned that the consequences of inaction would extend far beyond the Middle East. "While the atrocities may have begun with Palestine, they will not end there."
Referring to recent Israeli actions, including an attack in Doha, he cautioned: "Israel’s escalation risks destabilising the region—and the effects will spill over globally."
Calling for more than rhetoric, Mohamad said, "Simply advocating for a two-state solution is not enough."
Malaysia’s position, he said, includes not only punitive measures against Israel but also long-term support for a sovereign Palestinian state and a reformed United Nations that can no longer be paralysed in the face of humanitarian disasters. - September 28, 2025
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