KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will continue to advocate for the limitation or complete abolition of the veto power to restore international trust and confidence in the credibility and role of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin said there is an urgent need to ensure that the UNSC remains relevant and responsive to current global conflicts.
“We are aware that what we need is reform. We have to propose a total reform of the UNSC, which appears to be failing in implementing any decisions made.
“Therefore, efforts like this must be pursued collectively, with like-minded countries uniting to propose that a total reform of the UNSC is necessary,” he said when winding-up debate on the Supply Bill 2025 at the policy stage for the Foreign Ministry.
He emphasised that Malaysia has stressed that UNSC reform is warranted and essential so that veto power is not used arbitrarily by Permanent Members of the UNSC to protect their own interests and those of their allies.
Mohamad said the current veto power is a factor in the UNSC’s failure to fulfill its mandate to maintain global peace and security.
“In the context of Palestine, Malaysia calls for conditional veto power to be implemented so that it cannot be used in situations involving acts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kimanis Member of Parliament said that Malaysia will reaffirm its commitment and full support for efforts to realise a fully sovereign Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Mohamad said this will be conveyed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Extraordinary Joint Summit of Arab and Islamic Countries in Riyadh on Nov 11 to discuss Israel’s ongoing attacks and atrocities against Palestine.
“Additionally, Israel must cease its attacks on Lebanon and Iran and must be held accountable for the killings of (Hamas leaders) Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar,” he said, adding that as of yesterday, the conflict in Gaza had resulted in the deaths of 43,400 Palestinians, including 16,500 children, and injuries to 102,300 others.
He also noted that the government needs to conduct a thorough review regarding the proposal to rename the South China Sea to an alternative name such as the Southeast Asia Sea or the Malay Sea.
He stressed that any action taken must align with international practices and adhere to international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.
