ANKARA, Jan 7 — Malaysia remains steadfast in promoting justice, peace and dignity on the international stage, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said Malaysia is ready to support multilateral efforts, including international peacekeeping initiatives under the United Nations, while respecting the role of regional stakeholders.
“We are open. So whatever is necessary, or to help, we will do it. But of course, we are not going to surpass the role of these neighbours and the big players here.
“…and as I said, it’s not only issues of Gaza. Even the Rohingyas, probably in Myanmar or Cambodia or Thailand, with whatever capacity possible, we are here because we believe in justice, we believe in peace, and we believe in dignity,” he said during a question-and-answer session at his public lecture titled ‘Power Shifts: Strategic Choices for Malaysia and Turkiye’ here today.
He was responding to a question on whether Malaysia and Turkiye could jointly lead political and moral cooperation within the Muslim world.
The Prime Minister is on a three-day official visit to Turkiye, which began yesterday, at the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Meanwhile, Anwar also emphasised that Malaysia will continue to uphold a principled and consistent foreign policy grounded in international law, while maintaining diplomatic engagement with all major powers.
He said unilateral actions by any country, big or small, pose risks to global stability and must be rejected in favour of a rules-based international order.
“Well, we came up with a very strong position, including on Venezuela. We affirmed the position that it must be in accordance with international rules and laws, and no unilateral action by any country, big or small. So it is a consistent, coherent voice,” he said.
The Prime Minister added that Malaysia had urged the United States to allow the Venezuelan people to determine their own future.
“...I think in this age, if you have this sort of unilateral action, it would cause a lot of concern and instability,” he said.
Despite expressing disagreement with certain policies often described as ‘Trumpism’, Anwar stressed that continued engagement remains essential.
“...for a country like Malaysia, as a democracy, engaging these countries is important,” he said.
Anwar said Malaysia would continue to state its position firmly based on facts, law and consistent policy, while maintaining respectful relations with the United States.
“We state our position based on facts and law and consistent policy in the interest of Malaysians. But at the same time, we will continue to engage with the United States and treat them with respect and not only engage, but take an informed position to make sure that our voice is heard,” he said.
He added that diplomatic engagement is a necessity, noting that Malaysia welcomes regional and cross-regional peace initiatives, including Saudi Arabia’s efforts in Yemen and Turkiye’s role in addressing regional conflicts. — Bernama
