PUTRAJAYA, Jan 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia will continue to uphold and speak out for the sovereign rights of all nations, particularly those that were once colonised, in line with international law.
He said Malaysia’s stance reflects its position as a developing nation that consistently respects the principles of international law and global order.
Referring to his remarks on recent developments in Venezuela, Anwar said Malaysia, despite being a developing country, remains a free and sovereign nation guided by legal principles and international norms.
“That is why we take a firm and consistent position, whether on Gaza or Venezuela. From the very beginning, our leaders had opposed apartheid in South Africa and fought for the independence of all formerly colonised nations,” he said in his 2026 New Year Message at the Prime Minister’s Department monthly assembly here today.
Yesterday, Anwar described the detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a United States military operation in Caracas as unprecedented in scope and nature, expressing concern over the situation and calling the action a violation of international law.
He said the use of force against a sovereign nation to remove its head of government through external intervention was unjustifiable.
According to US President Donald Trump, US forces captured Maduro and his wife early Saturday and flew them to New York, where they are expected to face federal charges. Trump also announced that the US would administer Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” is secured. — Bernama
