PM Anwar urges OIC members to advocate for immediate ceasefire and humanitarian assistance to Gaza

MALAYSIA: Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, said he wants Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) members to consistently and assertively urge for an immediate ceasefire and prompt delivery of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

On Sunday (12 Nov), Mr Anwar visited Riyadh and addressed the 8th Extraordinary Islamic Summit of the OIC, where he discussed the ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestine.

According to Bernama, he emphasized that the Ummah anticipates tangible outcomes and concrete actions from the one-day Islamic summit.

“I call upon each of us (OIC members) to strategically employ our diplomatic channels and networks in every dialogue and on every stage, be it bilateral or multilateral, regional or international,” the Prime Minister said.

“Let us consistently and assertively call for the following in a concerted diplomatic campaign to institute an immediate ceasefire and expedite humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza.”

The meeting was held at the King Abdulaziz International Coference Centre and hosted by the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

This is not the first time he has spoken out on this matter. Before this, Mr Anwar expressed his steadfast support for Palestine during a solidarity rally called “Himpunan Malaysia Bersama Palestin,” which took place at a local stadium in Malaysia on October 24th.

During his speech, Mr Anwar condemned any attempts to intimidate or silence Malaysia’s voice on the issue.

“As long as I am given a mandate by the people, I do not accept threats. We will still fight. Don’t ever dream of threatening us.

“Malaysia is a fiercely independent country. We decide what is right, and we understand the meaning of freedom,” he said during the rally, while openly acknowledging that certain groups in Europe, the United States, and Israel are criticizing him for his stance in the Palestine-Israel conflict.

Additionally, Mr Anwar shared clips of his speech during the 8th Extraordinary Islamic Summit of the OIC on his Facebook page on Sunday.

In his speech, he affirmed the urgent need for humanitarian aid to be immediately channelled to the citizens of Gaza and the West Bank.

He also calls for all OIC member states to express strong protest against Israel’s illegal settlement built through the expulsion of Palestinians and demand its end.

He added, “More important is to prosecute the Israeli Zionist regime that blatantly violates international law and commits war crimes, be investigated and prosecuted through international justice institutions.”

“At this critical time, Arab and Islamic countries need to move arms and vigorously to fight for proper justice for our brothers in Gaza, while Western countries are blind and mute to the crisis in Palestine,” he wrote on his post.