Middle East Conflict: Wisma Putra Closely Monitoring Safety Of Malaysians - PM Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 (Bernama) -- The Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring the safety of 29,112 Malaysians in several affected countries following tensions arising from attacks the United States (US) and Israel launched on Iran on Saturday, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this includes efforts to bring Malaysians home.

However, he said evacuation efforts cannot be carried out now as much of the airspace in Middle Eastern countries has been closed, except for flights operating from Saudi Arabia.

“As the government, we are responsible for safeguarding and ensuring the safety of Malaysians so that their presence there (in affected countries) is secure,” the Prime Minister said when tabling a motion condemning Israel’s brazen and violent attacks on Iran, which were backed by the US.

Anwar said most Malaysians in the Middle East are working adults who have settled there, while others are tourists and umrah pilgrims.

“Most of our citizens in Middle Eastern countries are mainly residing in Qatar, the UAE (United Arab Emirates), Saudi Arabia and Jordan,” he said.

At the same time, he reiterated Malaysia’s stance in strongly condemning the attacks by the Israeli Zionist regime and the US, describing them as brazen actions that violate the principles of the United Nations Charter.

The Prime Minister said the intrusion into Iran’s sovereignty constitutes a clear breach of the international legal order and could drag the region into a broader conflict.

“The ongoing military actions risk causing a major escalation that threatens regional stability, particularly in the Gulf countries. Malaysia calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and a constructive return to the negotiation table,” he said.

Anwar added that Israel continues to be the only country consistently violating international resolutions, including a series of attacks in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and the ongoing massacres of Palestinians in Gaza.

He said Malaysia, therefore, has no choice but to take a firm stance against any actions that contravene the international order to uphold the principle of sovereignty of independent nations.

In addition, the Prime Minister emphasised the urgent need for Gulf countries to reunite and hold defence consultations to protect the freedom and sovereignty of the region.

He warned that without concrete cooperation, attacks on sovereign nations will continue in turn, as has been suggested by the Israeli leadership.

According to him, the latest warning issued by the Israeli regime to the Turkish government proves that no country in the region is exempt from the possibility of being targeted by Israel in the future.

The US and Israel launched a series of strikes on targets in Iran on Saturday, including Tehran, with reports of civilian casualties.

Iran retaliated with missile attacks on Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed following the strikes on Saturday morning, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

-- BERNAMA