PUTRAJAYA: Selective application of international law risks undermining the credibility of the global system, warns Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The Prime Minister said international law would lose its authority if it were applied inconsistently.
“If international law is to retain its credibility, it must apply equally. Principles lose their authority when they are invoked selectively.
“These inconsistencies undermine confidence in the very foundations of the international system,” he said in his speech at a forum titled Strategies for Malaysia and Asean in an Era of Global Instability.
The forum, which featured economist Dr Jeffrey D. Sachs as a panellist, was moderated by the Prime Minister.
“If the international community is to rebuild trust in the global system, it must demonstrate that the protection of human dignity is not conditional; that justice is not a bargaining chip to be parlayed for strategic gain,” he said.
On the conflict in the Middle East, Anwar said the situation had caused widespread destruction and humanitarian suffering, affecting several countries in the region.
He said missile strikes had led to civilian casualties while cities with rich historical heritage had been bombed, and critical infrastructure such as water and energy installations destroyed.
“This tragedy can never be fully measured in cold numbers because the death and destruction are in fact the manifestation of a more profound geopolitical reality,” he added.
The Prime Minister said he had earlier chaired an emergency meeting of the Economic Advisory Council to discuss the implications of the conflict for Malaysia and the wider global economy.
“The war has ramifications throughout the world and is affecting us here in Malaysia.
“It has far-reaching geopolitical and geoeconomic consequences for the entire world, fractured communities, weakened institutions and the erosion of trust,” he said.
Malaysia, he added, had taken a principled stance following a bipartisan position in Parliament.
“Malaysia has taken a principled position to condemn Israeli aggression and the United States as perpetrators in this aggression against an independent sovereign country, the Islamic Republic of Iran.
“At the same time, we call for restraint, de-escalation and renewed diplomatic engagement across the region,” he said.
Stating that global challenges require collective solutions, Anwar said the durability of the international order depends on nations upholding shared principles.
“The endurance of the international order will ultimately depend not only on institutions or agreements, but on whether nations remain willing to uphold the principles that give those structures meaning.
“Justice must be the very lifeblood of our humanity, regardless of colour, creed or nationality.
“Malaysia will continue to stand firmly for these principles,” he said.
