Malaysia strongly condemns all forms of terrorism - PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia strongly rejects all forms of terrorism and categorically condemns the actions of killing innocent lives and taking women and children as hostages in Palestine, announced Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Speaking in English for the international audience at the Dewan Rakyat sitting with the permission of the Speaker today, Anwar said Malaysia also unequivocally condemned the bombing of civilians, homes and hospitals and the consequential massacre of innocent lives, children, women and men that is being carried out day and night by the Israeli forces.

"Let us be clear, the Zionist State of Israel is an occupying force and as such it carries responsibilities under international law...these criminal acts are in clear violation of the norms of international law. The actions taken by Israel, the cutting off of food, water, humanitarian aid and electricity are violations of international law," he said.

Anwar said the situation in Palestine is an agonising reminder that the fight for justice knows no borders and Malaysia must stand united in solidarity with all the oppressed people.

The Prime Minister said the credibility of the international system itself is at stake and Malaysia must voice its opinion and encourage others to do so in order to preserve that system which seeks to uphold peace in the world.

"It is a fool's errand to think that Malaysia is unaffected by what is happening in the world. We are a trading nation actively engaged in regional and international commercial and economic activities, proactively reaching out to FDIs to drive our economic advancement. So, Malaysia is deeply and profoundly tied to what happens everywhere in the world.

"We have embarked on the difficult task, long ignored, so let me be clear, we will remain a fiercely independent nation and continue to express our right and our position on the issue of justice and freedom without fear or favour," he said.

Anwar said the war not only affects Muslims but also the Christians in Palestine, but the Western media rarely present the faces of the community and tend to convey the image of them as mere bystanders in the country.

He said this is wrong as Palestinian Christians have been victimised just as much as their Muslim brothers and sisters, and they too have been driven out from their historic cities in large numbers.

Anwar further said the underlying cause is the illegal Israeli occupation and apartheid policies and in this sordid history and the ongoing saga of cruelty, oppression and genocide, Palestine's Muslim and Christian communities alike are the helpless victims.

"For those who continue to think or suggest that the atrocities committed against the Palestinians affect Muslims alone, let it be reminded that the world's most ancient Christian community resides in Palestine, totalling 47,000, based on a census conducted in 2017.

"The point I want to make here is that there are strong socio-cultural and spiritual connections between the Muslim and Christian communities which confer on Palestinians their unique collective identity.

"Nevertheless, the Zionist Government of Israel is hellbent on presenting a binary conception of the crisis, capitalising on the notion of a besieged Jewish state being encircled by an overwhelming and menacing population of Muslims in the region and therefore facing imminent existential threat," he said.

-- BERNAMA