BANGKOK, Nov 23 — The "politics of dispossession” stands at the heart of the Palestinian issue, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at an international seminar on Palestine here Friday.

The president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) of Malaysia said the Palestinian issue remains as the most passionate cause, not only for the Muslim countries but also for those who crave for justice and human rights.

"My land was taken, my house was destroyed, my children have no education and I have no place to stay in my country. This is the issue of Palestine. This is the issue of dispossession, you are dispossessed from what you have,” said Anwar, who is also the MP of Port Dickson.

‘The International Seminar on Palestine: Past, Present and Future’ was held at the Chulalongkorn University, organised by the university’s Institute of Asian Studies (IAS).

Anwar lamented that in an era where everybody talks about democracy, humanity and freedom, people fail to understand the basic tenets of what human beings fully deserve.

All human beings, according to him, must be respected and their rights defended, whether they are Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and others.

"It doesn’t matter, all human beings must be respected and their rights must be defended,” he said, adding that the world’s superpowers, which he did not identify, are complicit in prolonging the Palestinian plight.

The world’s superpowers, said Anwar, "do not care about peace or justice” but "of course they care about oil.”

Worldwide reaction to the Palestinian issue, according to him, seems to be muted with a present sense of "unable to do anything”.

Anwar, who has been championing the cause of Palestinian, does not foresee any immediate hope to end the decades-old suffering of the Palestinian people.

On affairs closer to the region, he asked Asean to stand up and be counted on the issue regarding the plight of the Rohingya.

He wants countries in the region to take a stronger position on the issue and not to be "silent”.

The former Malaysian deputy prime minister also said that he used to support Aung San Suu Kyi at a time when Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader was oppressed by the country’s military government.

He also touched on affairs in Malaysia, saying that he wants the country to evolve into becoming a vibrant, democratic and progressive nation with Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and others living as a big family.

Anwar also spoke of his aspiration to rid Malaysia of corruption and injustice against everybody. — Bernama