Malaysia is holding firm to its long-standing decision not to recognise Israel as a state, despite growing pressure from the United States. The country has said plainly that there will be no change in its policy, even though members of the US Congress have called for a review of security and economic ties with Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia’s foreign minister, Mohamad Hasan, said the US state department had recently summoned Malaysia’s ambassador in Washington, Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaacob. The Malaysian ambassador made the position clear and set out Kuala Lumpur’s stance, he said.
Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia’s position on Israel is not new, nor a reaction to any recent event. Successive Malaysian governments have followed this official policy from the outset, he said.
Citing Malaysia’s state news agency Bernama, the foreign minister said: “This has always been Malaysia’s policy. Our immigration policy does not recognise the state of Israel or the Zionist regime. It is a long-standing and unwavering position.”
As one of the leading Muslim-majority countries, Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel. It maintains a ban on holders of Israeli passports entering Malaysia as part of its solidarity with and support for Palestinian rights.
Malaysia’s prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, reaffirmed his government’s firm commitment to the policy of not recognising Israel in an announcement on 15 July. The foreign minister’s latest comments restate that historic position.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report