Malaysia Stands Firm on Palestinian Rights, Engages with Hamas Despite Western Opposition
By V. Sankara
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 18 (Bernama) -- Despite Hamas being shunned by the United States (US) and much of the West, Malaysia has kept its options open with the group on the interest of the Palestinian people and their right to establish their homeland based on the pre-1967 boundaries.
Geostrategist Prof Dr Azmi Hassan, senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research (NASR), said this in commending Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s phone call to Hamas’ head of political bureau Ismail Haniyeh on Monday.
Azmi noted the communication between Anwar and Ismail is a significant and timely gesture looking at the possible ground offensive by Israel that awaits Gaza and the Palestinians in the coming days.
“Malaysia's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause during this critical time is noted. Notably, Anwar took a bold public stand by personally contacting Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas,” he said when contacted by BERNAMA.
Even earlier in the day Anwar during the Ministerial Question Time (MQT) at the parliament had said Malaysia has the right to continue and engage with any party including the political wing of Hamas to find an immediate solution to the current crisis.
Azmi said that Anwar is aware that there is a necessity to include both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority in any discussions on a lasting peace settlement.
“These two entities are pivotal, whether working towards a one-state or two-state solution. We consider the Palestinian cause to be of utmost importance, and our sympathies lie with the Palestinian people,” he added.
The geostrategist also believes Anwar will take up further the Palestinian issue during his upcoming visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to attend the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit on Friday.
On the future of Gaza after the conflict, the geostrategist predicts a further divided Gaza: one half under Israeli jurisdiction and the other, southern Gaza, under Hamas.
On a related matter, Azmi highlighted the precarious position Egypt finds itself in with regards to the Rafah crossing point, a crucial gateway to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Opening the Rafah crossing point would allow essential humanitarian aid into southern Gaza, but could also result in an influx of refugees into Egypt.
Hence, he emphasised the critical need for Egypt to exert control over who enters to prevent potential spillover of conflict-related issues into its territory.
-- BERNAMA
