PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will not waver in its long-standing support for the Palestinian cause, even with United States President Donald Trump attending the 47th Asean Summit, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
“Our support is based on principles and remains unchanged,” he said in an interview with The Star, reaffirming Malaysia’s backing of Palestine’s right to statehood based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital and the right of return for displaced Palestinians.
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He said Asean’s centrality remained intact regardless of Trump’s visit, noting that as host, Malaysia had extended invitations to all heads of state and government.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also assured that the security of all world leaders attending the summit would be fully guaranteed.
The 47th Asean Summit, the highlight of Malaysia’s chairmanship under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, is expected to draw a heavyweight line-up of leaders, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has opted to attend virtually.
Regional heads such as Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and Timor-Leste Prime Minister Jose Alexandre Gusmao will also be present.
Turning to Myanmar, Mohamad said any decision on the crisis would be made through consensus under the Asean Troika mechanism, which brings together the bloc’s previous, current and incoming chairs.
The Troika meeting on Myanmar is expected to convene today in conjunction with the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur.
“Everything concerning Myanmar is decided on a consensus basis, and we have a mechanism – the Troika,” he said, adding that he would brief his counterparts on developments.
The Troika mechanism was established by Asean leaders in 2023 to ensure continuity in the bloc’s efforts to address the crisis in Myanmar, of which Indonesia, Laos and Malaysia are members.
Mohamad also stressed that potential elections in Myanmar must be fair, transparent and inclusive, noting that authorities there had given two and a half years’ notice for the polls.
“It has been gazetted,” he said, adding that Asean has consistently maintained that no elections should proceed if conducted in a partial manner.
Under Myanmar’s current rules, political parties are required to have at least 50,000 members and funds of 100 million kyat (RM200,147).
