STATEMENT BY
H.E. SYED MOHAMAD HASRIN AIDID
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALAYSIA TO THE UNITED NATIONS
AT THE PLENARY MEETING ON THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST [ITEM 37] AND QUESTION OF PALESTINE [ITEM 38]
NEW YORK, 20 MAY 2021
Mr. President,
Malaysia aligns itself with the statement delivered by Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the statement to be delivered by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
2. Malaysia welcomes the timely convening of this meeting today. The meeting enables the General Assembly to deliver a strong message on the deteriorating and dire situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
3. The excessive use of force in the occupied West Bank, including in East Jerusalem as well as in Gaza, is inhuman, unjustifiable, and unacceptable. Palestinian civilians including women and children have been killed and injured. Homes and buildings, including medical facilities, humanitarian infrastructures and media offices, have been damaged or destroyed completely. Malaysia strongly condemns these heinous acts.
4. The cycle of violence and bloodshed needs to end. We call for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities.
5. Regrettably, we are again witnessing the absence of a unified voice of the Security Council over the Palestinian question. Malaysia joins the global call for the Council to shoulder its responsibility in maintaining peace and security. The Council must act swiftly, speaking with one voice to respond decisively to series of Israeli aggressions. It cannot continue to remain silent and oblivious. Every day of inaction is another day lost in saving innocent lives, especially children.
Mr. President,
6. The international community should robustly pursue all legal, political, and economic channels to pressure Israel. The occupying power must be made to fully comply with all its obligations as prescribed by relevant UN resolutions and international law, as well as the Charter of the United Nations.
7. Malaysia also reiterates its calls upon the international community to exert all necessary efforts to promote the realisation of a just, lasting and peaceful solution based on the internationally-endorsed parameters enshrined in the relevant UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements. We stand ready to engage with and support initiatives on this basis.
8. In this respect, my Prime Minister, along with His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam and President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, issued a Joint Statement on 16 May 2021 to condemn recent Israeli aggressions. The leaders also called on the international community to remain resolute in its commitment to safeguarding the "two-state solution" towards achieving an independent State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
9. Malaysia also reiterates its call for the Security Council to revisit the recommendation contained in the Secretary-General's report in 2018, A/ES-10/794, on the deployment of UN-mandated armed forces or unarmed observers to improve the protection of Palestinians. We must spare no effort to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population who have been living in dreadful living conditions under illegal Israeli occupation.
Mr. President,
10. As one of the penholders of landmark Security Council resolution 2334, Malaysia continues to condemn all forced evictions of Palestinians from their homes, including those in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem. Such actions are illegal under international humanitarian law and only serve to fuel tensions on the ground. We will not recognise any blatant seizure of Palestinian land by Israel for illegal settlements. We also reject any unilateral action regarding the final status of Jerusalem. In this connection, we call on the Security Council to ensure full implementation of its resolutions including resolution 2334 and demand accountability, as well as bring an end to Israeli crimes and violations.
11. Malaysia remains committed to supporting the Palestinian people in their quest for fundamental rights, particularly their inalienable rights to self-determination. We will continue our bilateral assistance to Palestine and support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in assisting and protecting Palestinian refugees.
Mr. President,
12. This longest-standing conflict continues to affect the life and dignity of our Palestinian brothers and sisters. They deserve the same rights like we do, to live in peace and justice. Malaysia's resolute support and full solidarity with the Palestinian people in realising their rights to freedom and independence have never been greater and will never waiver. To stand with Palestine, especially during these trying times, is to stand with humanity. We call on other nations to continue standing in solidarity with the Palestinian people.