MELBOURNE: Addressing the grave situation in Gaza, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar took the matter before the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne on Wednesday, calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
At the retreat session of the special summit, Anwar reminded ASEAN and Australia leaders that all ASEAN member states and Australia voted in favour of the United Nation (UN) General Assembly resolution in December 2023, which demanded a humanitarian ceasefire.
“We should urge for this demand to be realised – immediately and permanently,” he said.
Anwar pointed out that day by day, the situation in Gaza continues to worsen, and to date, over 30,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed including more than 12,000 children, while innocent babies are dying of starvation and famine appears imminent.
“An immediate and permanent ceasefire is, therefore, imperative,” he said.
Anwar said the provision of safe, rapid and unimpeded humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians throughout Gaza must be allowed to resume and be sustained.
“Malaysia implores the international community to take bolder actions to compel Israel’s adherence to the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in January this year and urge all parties to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza,” he said.
Malaysia also called on countries not to prejudge the outcome of the investigation into the recent allegations involving several United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) personnel and reconsider the collective punishment imposed and appealed for their financial support to UNWRA to be reinstated, he said.
Anwar said collectively, ASEAN and Australia can play a constructive role within the international community towards finding a peaceful and durable solution to the conflict.
“As responsible state actors, we are bound by the UN Charter and international law to uphold fundamental principles for justice.
“The right to self-determination that we demand and value for ourselves should also be protected and upheld for the Palestinians,” he said.
Anwar said the end of the decades-old Israel occupation of the Palestinian territories is fundamental for a viable two-state solution as well as enduring peace and security in the Middle East.
“We must also not deny that Israel’s aggression has further exacerbated divisions and prejudices between Muslims and non-Muslims worldwide, fuelling the dangerous spread of Islamophobia, which must be stopped.
“We should socialise the fact that what is happening in Gaza is not about religion but a crisis of humanity. We should advocate embracing our difference so that communities could live together in harmony,” he said.-Bernama
