RIYADH: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has described the situation unfolding in Gaza as “madness”, warning that the world is not blind to the “hypocrisy” of Western leaders who have repeatedly failed to condemn the Israeli aggression, and drawing marked parallels with Russia. invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the first GCC-ASEAN summit in Riyadh on Friday, Anwar said the Middle East conflict had exposed what he saw as a propensity for “contradiction and hypocrisy” in the international politics, noting that there was “talk of human rights on one side”, but the denial of these same rights to others.
“A good student of history and geopolitics would not necessarily be surprised that there are so many contradictions and hypocrisy in the field of international politics,” he said.
“For example, he condemns Russia for its aggression due to its decision to seize a Russian enclave in Ukraine. Fair. This is condemned. But with Israeli aggression seizing rightful Palestinian lands, this is tolerated.
“Not only is this (aggression) supported and defended. We need to wake up and see the blatant hypocrisy that cannot continue.
In his opening speech to the summit, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: “As we meet, we are saddened by the escalation of violence that Gaza is witnessing today, including the price is paid by innocent civilians. »
The crown prince stressed the need to “end military operations against civilians… and create the necessary conditions for the return of stability and the achievement of a lasting peace guaranteeing a just solution to establish a Palestinian state according to the borders from 1967”.
Anwar said it was “no exaggeration” to call the Saudi crown prince’s remarks “passionate and timely”, adding that it was vital for an Arab leader to take not only a “firm” stance on crisis in Gaza, but also a position based on “humanitarian reasons”.
He described his immediate response as a desire to thank the crown prince and say that “we are with you and the GCC because of what you see, and when you take the lead, it will have a powerful impact.”
Anwar said Malaysia fully supports the efforts of Saudi Arabia and the GCC to end the fighting and prevent the outbreak of a wider war.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s remarks were part of a broader collective call by summit leaders, who issued a statement calling on all parties involved in the conflict to implement a permanent ceasefire and condemn the attacks against the civilian population of Gaza.
He further stressed the need to respect international humanitarian law, particularly the principles and provisions of the Geneva Convention concerning the protection of civilian persons in time of war, while also urging the provision of humanitarian assistance, supplies of relief and other essential necessities and services. in Gaza.
Furthermore, he urged the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and civilian detainees, including women, children, the sick and the elderly.
Addressing the summit as national coordinator, Anwar reiterated the Saudi crown prince’s desire to see a two-state solution based on historic borders within the 1967 borders.
He called on all nations to come together to find a just and lasting solution to prevent the situation from becoming “an unprecedented humanitarian crisis” that could spill over into regional or even global conflict.
“Palestinians must recover their land, their homes and their properties,” Anwar said. “They must be allowed to live in peace and dignity in their own sovereign state, within internationally recognized borders, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as their capital. »
While the Israel-Hamas conflict overshadowed the summit, leaders of the two blocs also adopted a road map, the Cooperation Framework 2024-2028, covering agriculture and food security, banking and financial services, connectivity , the fight against terrorism, energy, tourism, trade and investment, as well as culture, education and information. They also agreed to explore common strategies on micro, small and medium enterprise development policies.
“It is historic in the sense that the GCC and ASEAN are two small, economically very dynamic regional groups, and we are entering into this collaboration without the influence of the great powers and to essentially benefit from the strength of the GCC, with the phenomenal growth and sustainability of ASEAN,” Anwar said.
“We had been discussing it for years, and then the crown prince said, ‘OK, let me host it.’ So we were all very enthusiastic and thanks to the support of the Crown Prince and the presence of all the GCC and ASEAN leaders, we agreed on some parameters on how to further improve the issue of trade and the mechanisms to encourage investment.
The Malaysian leader’s confidence in this formal rapprochement between the Gulf and ASEAN blocs is based on the “phenomenal change” he has witnessed in the former, notably in Saudi Arabia over the past decade.
Having visited Riyadh frequently as a recent graduate, Anwar said he knows the region well and has personally witnessed the pace of change.
“The Kingdom’s emphasis on new technologies, new energies and artificial intelligence is reflected across the Muslim world,” he said. “Of course, people have problems, arguments or differences, but Saudi Arabia is known for its religious role, and even here it is evolving into a modern state with its technology, dynamic economy and renewable energy.
“This is something that is particularly attractive for our countries and, for example, to seize this opportunity and secure everything that we have. In Asia, we have a long tradition of industrial investment. Malaysia, for example, has evolved from being an industrial hub to a pioneer in microchips and is a leader in this field.
Following his personal experiences in the Kingdom, as Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar leads a country that welcomes a “huge” number of Saudi tourists on an annual basis. Data from Tourism Malaysia places the Kingdom as the highest spender per capita in Malaysia in terms of tourism spending, with around 121,000 visitors per year, and this number continues to climb. The appeal appears to be equally shared, with Malaysians also keen to visit Saudi Arabia.
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“There are a lot of references to the fact that there is some sort of special relationship between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, which has existed for centuries,” Anwar said. “You study any historical narrative, whether it is Islamization or Islamization or Hajj and anti-colonial activities, all of them have links between mainstream scholars and Saudi Arabia, especially those around Mecca, a center of learning.
“And then, of course, the Hajj is a major factor. I’m lucky because I was a recent graduate. I used to collaborate with the universities here in Jeddah, where there was the Hajj center. And you can see the willingness to learn and make the necessary changes.
Despite the history of synergistic interactions between the two countries, Anwar is not content to leave things alone.
“Ask me, is this enough?” I would say no, which means that we should try to develop mechanisms to not only facilitate but also speed up the process. I think that’s generally why meetings like (the GCC-ASEAN Riyadh Summit) are important. This is why not only the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but also the Minister of International Trade were present.
“Because they will have to follow the specific areas that we can explore.”
Anwar said that while the bond and level of trust between Saudi Arabia and Malaysia “is very unique,” in terms of collaboration, there is much more to be done.
“That is why I hope to emphasize this point during my bilateral meeting with the crown prince,” he said.
“So let’s do more, use this historical precedent and build new links between the new Saudi Arabia and the new Malaysia, with the changes and the new government administration.
“Collaboration should be strengthened.”
