A war against oppression

A LONG time ago, on a staircase in the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s lobby in Kuala Lumpur, a group of reporters were crowding around the then Malaysian Permanent Representative to the United Nations asking questions when one rookie asked, “Which part of Africa is Unga?”

My colleague who was present recalled that the rest of the group was flabbergasted this reporter didn’t know that “Unga” refers to the UN General Assembly. But the man being questioned was a diplomat after all and was polite enough to pretend he didn’t hear the question.

In my years of covering issues related to Wisma Putra, I have been lucky enough to have become acquainted with a few foreign ministers and join media delegations accompanying several prime ministers on their working trips abroad.

The issues, at least to me, are interesting but there is that constant running around (literally) you have to do during summits like Asean and Apec, and reading and digesting statements and speeches. You must constantly talk to officials to be updated on the latest and understand the issues or you will be lost in the sea of information.

As the Gaza Strip and Palestinians have been bombarded by Israel in the past week, I can’t help wonder how many of us fully understand the gravity of the situation and the history behind this ongoing violence that is taking place or even where Palestine is to begin with. So don’t be surprised if there are those who ask where Hamas is situated.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, long ostracised by the West for his views on Israel’s aggression against the Palestinians, described it best following the latest conflict to hit Gaza. In a social media posting on the plight of the Palestinians, Dr Mahathir said Israel had been labelling Hamas as terrorists.

“But isn’t Hamas reacting as any people who have been pushed into a corner? Isn’t theirs the reaction of a people who feel helpless and have lost hope of getting help from nations proclaiming to be defenders of justice and humanity?

“Isn’t it only expected that Hamas, and any other Palestinian for that matter, who has been subjected to Israel’s occupation, bullying, massacres, genocide and apartheid, react as what we witness today?” Dr Mahathir wrote.

Malaysia has always been a strong advocate of the Palestinian cause. But when the latest incident erupted, there was deafening silence from the current government for more than 24 hours. No statement came from Wisma Putra or from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

I understand that a statement was only issued after the media started inquiring at the PMO on Sunday. A statement already drafted, purportedly waiting for approval by the Prime Minister, was then blasted out to the media about an hour later.

Former Foreign minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar felt that Wisma Putra should have come out with a statement immediately calling for a ceasefire.

“This is the moment when the situation demands an immediate statement,” he said.

Neighbouring countries like Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand were swift to react. Singapore and Thailand were already advising its citizens in Israel to take necessary precautions and asking all parties to refrain from any actions that would further escalate tensions before Sunday.

After reading the Foreign Ministry’s statement, one wonders why it was slow in reacting to an escalation of conflict in the Gaza Strip.

“Must everything wait for the Prime Minister’s approval, especially when this involves the lives of the oppressed?” wondered an official.

The government’s reaction to the issue picked up steam as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim later in the same evening posted on X (formerly Twitter) saying Malaysia remains in solidarity with the struggles of the people of Palestine.

The Prime Minister also criticised the international community for its one-sided action over the issue of cruelty against and oppression of Palestinians. A rather safe statement without pointing fingers at any country.

On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi tabled a special motion in the Dewan Rakyat on the crisis. It is understood the Prime Minister could not table it as he was busy with preparing Budget 2024, which was tabled on Friday.

Malaysia, Ahmad Zahid said, is concerned by the rising death toll, the innocent lives lost and the destruction caused by the war, adding that the UN Security Council (UNSC) must immediately act by calling all parties to end the violence. The international community must also increase pressure on all parties to stop the violence and strive for peace and stability, he also said.

A Malaysian diplomat said calls for the UNSC to act will not bring much change.

“It will get much worse in the coming days. I think the whole world is feeling helpless.

“But this is not new. The UNSC and Unga have produced numerous, probably hundreds, of resolutions over the years on Palestine. Very few, if not none, have been followed through and implemented,” he said.

Syed Hamid, one of Malaysia’s longest serving foreign ministers, did not mince his words in lambasting Israel.

“This is worse than the treatment of the Rohingya. This is apartheid, genocide, colonisation and dehumanisation of Palestinians by European Jews who have no connection to the land. The state was created through terrorism and it was achieved with a Zionist agenda based on lies in history and politics.

“So long as the United States acts contrary to international laws and common breaches of them, endorsing killings and murders, then the situation will not change.

“This is not a war but resistance against colonialism and oppression,” Syed Hamid added.

At press time last night, Israel was still on an all-out campaign of daily bombardments of Gaza City, causing thousands of Palestinians to flee their homes. Al Jazeera reported nearly 2,000 people have died since the Israeli bombardment began in retaliation for an act of intrusion by Hamas on Oct 7.

How much more must the Palestinians suffer?