Malaysia Amplifies Global Push For Palestine

By Nabilah Saleh & Mohd Fharkhan Abdul Ghapar

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- The year 2025 saw Malaysia maintaining its momentum in the fight for Palestinian rights, marked by clarion calls and concrete efforts both locally and internationally to demand justice.

Malaysia has remained resolute in championing the Palestinian issue since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, in line with its foreign policy of upholding universal humanitarian values and justice.

At the Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit in Qatar last September, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called for punitive action against Israel in response to its increasingly inhumane atrocities.

He emphasised that Israel’s refusal to recognise Palestine as a free state amounted to blatant apartheid as well as defiance and violations of United Nations (UN) resolutions.

Malaysia’s firm stance was also carried by Anwar at various high-profile international conferences and meetings with world leaders, including his four-eye discussion with United States President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in October. 

Back home, this diplomacy was matched by action: in August, Malaysia announced a RM100 million humanitarian aid fund for Palestine at the ‘Malam Himpunan dan Selawat Malaysiaku Bersama Gaza’ event at Dataran Merdeka.

The message was echoed again on the world stage when, at the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan stressed that the abuse of the UN Security Council veto continued to shackle global efforts to halt the bloodshed in Gaza.

He outlined Malaysia’s three guiding principles in this struggle: concrete action against Israel as the occupying power, commitment to building Palestine as a sovereign state, and comprehensive UN reforms, particularly to the Security Council, to make it more inclusive and effective.

Malaysia also played a key role in the establishment of The Hague Group, which was pressing for legal action and comprehensive sanctions against Israel, including an arms embargo, as a moral demand of the international community.

In its message, Malaysia reiterated that Israel’s illegal occupation and blockade of Gaza had created one of the most severe and devastating humanitarian crises in modern history.

On the ground, Malaysia backed its words with action by joining the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), a humanitarian convoy of over 40 small vessels and 500 activists from 44 countries that sought to deliver aid to Gaza and defy Israel’s blockade.

Malaysia emerged as one of the largest contingents in Southeast Asia through Sumud Nusantara, which mobilised 34 volunteers comprising community leaders, celebrities, politicians and journalists.

The flotilla’s voyage was strengthened by international security cooperation, including the deployment of Italian and Spanish patrol vessels to ensure the fleet’s safety from threats by the Zionist regime.

However, the flotilla, which departed the Mediterranean in late August, faced intense provocation from Israel, including drone attacks, before being intercepted in international waters, leading to the detention of 23 Malaysians along with hundreds of foreign activists.

During those tense hours, the Sumud Nusantara Command Centre (SNCC) in Sepang operated round the clock with 24-hour monitoring and live video conferences to provide real-time updates to the public and families.

Public solidarity surged further as thousands of Malaysians took to the streets in several demonstrations heading towards the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to protest Israel’s detention of peace activists.

All 23 Malaysians were eventually released in stages and returned on Oct 8, greeted emotionally by thousands at the Gaza Solidarity Gathering at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, together with the Prime Minister.

In the same week, seven more Malaysians who joined the Freedom Flotilla Coalition voyage were also detained on Oct 7 before being released five days later.

Reflecting on the year’s developments, Malaysia’s struggle for Palestine is not merely a matter of foreign policy but also a moral duty shared with its people, from the halls of diplomatic negotiations to the heartbeat of solidarity on the streets.

As Malaysia enters the new year, the nation continues to carry hope for Gaza, and as the Prime Minister stressed, Malaysia will stand with Palestine — yesterday, today and tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA