RIYADH, April 27 — Malaysia will voice its firm stance on Israeli violence in Gaza and geopolitical tensions in West Asia at the two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) special meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, beginning tomorrow, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Mohamad expressed hope that countries with previously differing views would now join Malaysia in condemning Israel’s atrocities against the Palestinian people.
“Malaysia has consistently supported the Palestinian people’s struggle and we want to see them given equal rights, establish an independent country and to be accepted as a full member of the United Nations,” he told reporters during his visit to the Malaysian Embassy in Riyadh today.
Mohamad also said that he would address the tensions in West Asia during his meetings with counterparts at the WEF, aiming to prevent them from escalating into a regional crisis.
“I hope that those with interests in the region will collaborate to ease and resolve these tensions, preventing them from escalating into a crisis in West Asia,” he said.
On the personal invitation from Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to deliver a speech at the meeting alongside other world leaders, Mohamad described it as a recognition from the Saudi government to Malaysia.
In addition, he said that he and Investment, Trade and Industry Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz, would also participate in various sessions and hold meetings with industry leaders during the special meeting.
“I am confident this will provide us with a platform to offer investors and multinational companies, who have yet to invest in Malaysia, a closer insight into Malaysia’s unique position in Southeast Asia,” he said.
Mohamad said that these efforts were timely as Malaysia positioned itself as a “middle state” and was perceived as a country with a strategic position in South-east Asia, bridging towards East Asia and other regions.
“Many countries are implementing de-risking and decoupling policies, learning from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Consequently, they no longer wish to overly depend on a single country,” he added.
The WEF special meeting themed ‘Global Cooperation, Growth and Energy for Development’, is expected to be attended by heads of state and government as well as industry leaders. — Bernama
