LATEST GAZA CEASEFIRE MUST NOT BE ANOTHER PAUSE BETWEEN WARS - PM ANWAR

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim cautioned that the latest Gaza ceasefire efforts must not become merely another pause between wars, despite reiterating his support for the 20-point peace initiative proposed by American President Donald Trump.

Anwar, in his keynote address at the Kuala Lumpur Conference on a New Just and Humane International Order, said there is still no comprehensive peace plan, no assurance of the Palestinians’ right of return and no categorical commitment to establishing an independent Palestinian state.

“Malaysia has spoken up for peace wherever we can. Now, with the latest fragile ceasefire in place in Sharm El Sheikh, we are monitoring developments by the minute. 

“There are strong reservations in our position. Malaysia, alongside South Africa, Bolivia and Brazil, fully supports the ceasefire, but it must lead to rebuilding Gaza, restoring dignity and recognising the Palestinian right to live freely in their own land,” he said in his address titled ‘Galvanising the South in Shaping a New International Order’ here today.

Anwar also criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, saying it had shown no intention of honouring peace commitments.

The Prime Minister also warned that the world must not allow Gaza to become another cycle of destruction and despair, stressing that leadership must turn moral outrage into sustained action.

“Morality and power are never easily reconciled, yet they must coexist if order is to endure. Without moral anger, there can be no justice. But leadership must ensure that moral conviction becomes policy, and compassion turns into action that endures,” he said.

Anwar stated that the unfolding tragedy and Zionist atrocities in Gaza reflect a deeper global crisis, adding that silence is no longer an option for Malaysia.

Apart from the RM100 million in humanitarian aid already committed for Gaza, Malaysia is also working jointly with Japan, as well as other East Asian and Middle Eastern partners, to mobilise additional support for the Palestinian people, he added.

Meanwhile, through a post on Facebook, Anwar stressed that Malaysia will continue to uphold the policy of 'active non-alignment', which is not neutrality without a stance, but freedom based on principle.

He said the policy is the new face of MADANI, which is brave to speak out, firm with its values, and confident that creating a just and humane world is not a utopia but a shared moral responsibility of the world to reject oppression and tyranny.

“In vocalising our stance on Gaza, we are aware that remaining silent means consenting to complicity. Malaysia does not want to be a spectator to destruction and tyranny.

“Therefore, we speak out because moral conviction and power must unite. Global peace does not merely mean a ceasefire; it must be an awakening to the self-respect and the right of the Palestinian people to determine their own future,” he said.

The Prime Minister said Malaysia chooses not to submit to a flawed world order; instead, it must come forward with a new attitude and commitment in championing a world order based on conscience and universal humanitarian principles.

Malaysia, he said, rejects the unbalanced stance that permits modern colonialism and oppression in the name of power and self-interest.

-- BERNAMA