NEW YORK: Malaysia has called on the international community to give their all to resolve political problems which have raised tensions in the Muslim world, starting with Syria.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, in making the call at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) here Saturday, said it could not be underlined strongly enough the need for a Syrian-led inclusive political process.
"Malaysia is against any unilateral action to resolve the conflict. All sides must come together to work out a political settlement," he said in his National Statement at the General Debate of the 68th UNGA at its headquarters here.
Najib said Malaysia welcomed the recent US-Russia Framework Agreement on the Syrian crisis, condemned without reservation the use of chemical weapons, and called on the international community to intensify their efforts to explore all possible diplomatic options for peace under the auspices of the UN.
He also called on the international community to find the vision and the political will to commit to a just solution for Palestine.
"We must also find the vision and the political will to commit to a just solution for Palestine.
"We fervently hope that progress towards a viable Palestinian state - based on pre-1967 borders, and with East Jerusalem as its capital - will be made, and that the US and other members of the Quartet continue to play their role as honest brokers in the process," Najib said.
He said only with peace could there be development and dignity for the Palestinian people.
Finally, he said, the international community should continue to focus on building stronger and more prosperous societies, predicated on the rule of law and the practice of democracy.
The Arab Spring showed that the Muslim world was crying out for change, he said.
"Governments must answer that call. We must provide good governance to fight corruption, create jobs to tackle poverty, and deliver sustainable growth that builds a world of opportunity for our citizens.
"We must create economies in which people can fulfil their own aspirations, not those of extremists," he said.
Najib said by acting to solve their most difficult political problems, they could bring an end to the immediate suffering in Syria, in Palestine, and in the wider world.
He said by committing to the cause of moderation, Muslims could secure something even greater.
"We can reclaim our religion, choosing harmony and acceptance over division and conflict. And we can broadcast a vision of Islam as it is understood by Muslims around the world: as a religion of peace, tolerance, and moderation," said Najib.
He said that when militants attacked buses in Pakistan last month, a 19 year-old Sunni student named Ghulam Mustafa stood up for such a vision.
Confronting the Sunni gunmen, he said killing Shiites was wrong. Ghulam was shot dead, but his life was not lost in vain. With guns to their heads, the Sunnis on the bus refused to identify the Shia passengers who the gunmen wanted to kill.
"In their defiance, we see the true measure of courage, and the true test of faith. Under unimaginable pressure, facing the greatest possible threat, they chose to stand with their brothers and sisters. They chose unity over division," Najib said.
"Faced with unimaginable pressure, and the greatest possible threat, we must summon the will to do the same," he said.
Najib had also spoken at the High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament on Thursday and held several bilateral meetings with other world leaders, apart from attending luncheons and dinners with American business community on the sidelines of UNGA.
Prior to his arrival in New York on Wednesday, Najib had visited San Francisco from Sept 22-24 to chair the 3rd annual general meeting of the Global Science and Innovation Advisory Council (GSIAC) and visited the headquarters of social media groups, Twitter, Facebook and Google. - Bernama
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