JOHOR BARU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s interview on the Israel-Palestine conflict with CNN’s Richard Quest should be released in full to give context to Malaysia’s position on the issue, says a Johor lawmaker.
Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim said the Communications Ministry should release the video in full to avoid misunderstandings about Malaysia's position about the conflict.
“Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil previously said a video clip of the interview was edited and widely disseminated to give the impression as if the Malaysian government recognises the existence of Israel.
“The minister has the responsibility to release the unedited video in full,” said Hassan in a statement on Tuesday (Nov 19).
He added that Malaysia had always advocated for a “two-state solution” and the country’s position remains unchanged.
“Anwar has been consistent when voicing out Malaysia's stance at the international level as well as in Parliament. Malaysia has never recognised Israel as a state and remains committed to supporting the Palestinian people’s struggle.
“This meant that Anwar’s answer in that interview with Quest was not wrong. However, it is wiser for the Prime Minister to say that Palestine has the right to become an independent state,” he added.
The video clip of the interview, which had gone viral, claimed that the Prime Minister recognised Israel’s right to exist and defend itself.
According to a Bernama report, Fahmi said the concept of the “two-state solution” mentioned by Anwar is a stance long held by Malaysia and stated by previous prime ministers in 2002, 2005, 2016, 2020 and 2021.
