By Danial Dzulkifly
KUALA LUMPUR, 16 Oct — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is set to discuss the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict during his official visit to Saudi Arabia later this week, in a strategic effort to broker peace.
His visit, which is scheduled to commence this Thursday, is in response to an invitation by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Anwar said the visit will not only fortify Malaysia’s ties with Saudi Arabia, but will also serve as an opportunity for him to engage with other regional leaders to work on a framework for potential resolutions to the conflict.
“I was contacted by the Saudi Crown Prince, who kindly requested that I extend my visit by an additional day, until October 21, to participate in more in-depth discussions and partake in official events in Saudi Arabia.
“During this extended stay, I plan to meet with other prominent leaders from nations including the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. We’ll also be looking into the feasibility of arranging meetings with other (global) leaders concerning the conflict,” he said in Parliament today.
Anwar said he will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir during the trip.
Zambry will depart to Jeddah today to take part in an extraordinary ministerial meeting of the Islamic Summit and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Executive Committee scheduled for Wednesday.
The meeting was summoned by the OIC committee in the wake of the surging military tension in Gaza.
Anwar’s Saudi Arabia visit also coincides with the Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In his address to the Dewan Rakyat, the prime minister also provided updates on the government’s strategic interventions to mitigate the recent flare-ups in Gaza.
He also took the opportunity to point out what he sees as the hypocrisy of Western leaders in their approach to providing essential aid to Palestinians, which is undergoing renewed aggression from the Israeli government.
“The West has taken a hypocritical stance. They vehemently criticised Russia for its conflict with Ukraine but seem to turn a blind eye to the oppression faced by the Palestinians.”
“During our meetings, these Western nations consistently ask Malaysia to condemn Hamas’ actions.
“I must clarify that Malaysia has maintained a formal relationship with Hamas for a long time, and we will continue to do so. We cannot bow to external pressures.
“After all, Hamas secured their position through an independent election, reflecting the choice of the people of Gaza,’’ he said.
