STATEMENT BY
MR. SOFIAN AKMAL ABD KARIM
CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES, A.I.
PERMANENT MISSION OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AT THE 10th EMERGENCY SPECIAL SESSION OF THE
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ON THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST INCLUDING THE PALESTINIAN QUESTION
15 DECEMBER 2023
Mr. President,
Thank you for convening the 10th Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly. Malaysia together with a group of countries supported the request by the Arab Group and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for the resumption of this meeting.
2. Malaysia aligns itself with the statement delivered by Mauritania on behalf of the OIC.
3. This meeting, the second ESS to be convened within a span of less than two months, is being necessitated by the immeasurable human suffering and catastrophic humanitarian condition we are witnessing. With over 18,000 civilians killed including women and children; with more than half of all homes bombed into ruins; with up to 1.9 million people internally displaced; with healthcare system on the verge of collapse – the carnage and destruction seen in Gaza are beyond words.
4. While we welcome the convening of this important meeting, it could and should have been avoided. Malaysia, a nation that values peace and justice, had hoped for the Security Council to unite in the name of humanity and agree to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Alas, this did not come to pass. What did happen last Friday was a stark reminder of the paralysis of the Council, caused by politicization based on the narrow self-interest of a Member State. With an immediate ceasefire, the killings could have been stopped, more humanitarian aid could have reached those in need and lives could have been saved. Regretfully, these acts of humanity have been prevented from happening, despite the affirmative vote by 13 members of the Security Council and despite more than 100 Member States including Malaysia having supported the draft resolution by the United Arab Emirates.
Mr. President,
5. The dire humanitarian and healthcare situation in Gaza demands our urgent attention. According to UNRWA, the humanitarian situation is now untenable. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of the heightened risk of disease outbreaks due to overcrowded shelters and the lack of basic supplies, in already inoperable hospitals. Half of the population are starving with nine out of 10 not eating every day. Children in Gaza risks dying from diseases than they do from bombings. We heard harrowing accounts of families enduring multiple days without food, shelter, water and access to healthcare.
Mr. President,
6. Malaysia has co-sponsored and voted in favour of the resolution entitled Protection of Civilians and Upholding Legal and Humanitarian Obligations, for the sake of humanity. We welcome and strongly support the call by the UN Secretary-General and by the overwhelming majority of Member States for a humanitarian ceasefire. It is the only decent and humane thing to do. Every moment we delay, lives are lost, and hopes are crushed. We urge all parties involved to lay down their arms and silence the guns that have brought nothing but death, destruction and despair.
7. We reject the forced displacement of the Palestinians. Such action is an affront to human dignity. It is a clear violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.
8. Malaysia calls for an unimpeded safe passage for humanitarian aid. It is imperative to ensure food, water, fuel, electricity and medicine reach those who need them adequately and without delay.
Mr. President,
9. Under the pretext of the right to self-defence, Israel continues to commit crimes against humanity and wage war against innocent Palestinians with impunity. Israel’s actions are neither proportionate nor lawful, and run contrary to international law and the UN Charter.
10. Atrocities against civilians committed by Israel are unjustifiable. The international community must robustly pursue all legal, political, and economic channels to pressure Israel. We demand accountability for each crime and violations committed by Israel. Every instance of violations by Israel must be thoroughly investigated and its perpetrators must be held accountable. Justice delayed is justice denied.
Mr. President,
11. At the last Emergency Special Session on 27th October 2023, this august Assembly soundly adopted a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce. We again hear the world speaking in one voice and the demand is – ceasefire now! We hear this demand for immediate ceasefire not only here in the General Assembly, but across the globe – in parliaments, in the streets of cities worldwide and across social media platforms. The clamour and appeal for immediate ceasefire cannot be ignored.
12. It is therefore imperative to ensure that the United Nations, envisioned as the bastion of international cooperation and conflict resolution, deliver its duty and responsibility. The erosion of trust in the multilateral system not only hampers our ability to collectively address global challenges but also undermines the very foundations upon which the United Nations were built.
Mr. President,
13. The key to end the sufferings of the Palestinians is to end Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. The blatant seizure of Palestinian land by Israel for illegal settlements is not and will never be acceptable. The Gaza Strip constitutes an integral part of the Palestinian territory and it must remain part of the Palestinian State. The future of Gaza lays solely by the will and independent choice of the Palestinian People.
14. Malaysia strongly urges the international community to exert all necessary efforts to promote the realisation of a just, lasting, and peaceful solution based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We stand ready to be part of and support initiatives aimed at realising the Palestinians’ rights to freedom and independence.
I Thank you.
