LIMA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today insisted that Malaysia remains consistent with its stance on the issue of Israel and Palestine, emphasising that Putrajaya has never diplomatically recognised the existence of the state of Israel.
He told a press conference with the Malaysian media, held after the discussion session at the APEC Summit, that Malaysia did not send embassy officials or establish diplomatic relations with Israel as a protest measure against the oppression of the Palestinian people.
“What needs to be understood is, we do not recognise Israel in terms of diplomatic relations and do not allow them to conduct trade or official activities in Malaysia,“ Anwar said here on Friday when asked to comment on his interview on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with Richard Quest, of CNN.
He said Malaysia remains committed to supporting the Palestinian people’s struggle, and in many international forums, has never stopped voicing its opposition to the occupation and atrocities perpetrated by Israel on the Palestinian people.
“In the context of the international system, some say ‘de facto’ and some say ‘de jure’. Israel exists as a country in the context of membership in the United Nations (UN), but we still reject official recognition of the country,“ he stressed.
The prime minister dismissed accusations and claims that he or the Malaysian government is ‘in collusion’ with Israel.
“What kind of politics is this, fooling the people, slander, in the name of Islam, these are called religious riders who do not know how to comment.
“ Such accusations are baseless and are slander that are deliberately created by certain parties for narrow political interests.
“Those who spread this slander do not understand the context of international politics, or maybe they are deliberately looking for reasons to distort the facts for a particular purpose. I want the people to understand that Malaysia continues to adhere to the principle of justice for Palestine,“ added Anwar.
He said at the APEC meeting held in Lima, Peru, Malaysia was the only country that openly raised the Palestinian issue, even though the main theme of the discussion was economy and trade.
Anwar linked the issue to the principle of free trade which should not deny the rights of the Palestinian people.
“How can we talk about the economy and free trade if the rights of a nation are denied? This is a matter of justice. Malaysia will continue to voice support for the Palestinian people wherever it is needed.
“Don’t be willing to slander and deceive for political gain. When I asked, when you ruled, why did you allow Israeli ships to dock at Port Klang, why did you allow Israeli planes to pass through our airspace? They did not answer,“ he said.
The Prime Minister said he will not let narrow politics and slander prevent the country from continuing to fight for human rights and against colonialism around the world, especially in the context of the Palestinian issue.
