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KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): The credibility of the United Nations (UN) can and must be restored to build the future, says Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
The Prime Minister said this can be done if UN members find the moral courage and political will to do the right thing.
Addressing the general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York practically on Saturday (September 26), Muhyiddin cited issues related to Palestine and the Rohingya as two obvious examples of why a Stronger and better un.
He said that for there to be lasting peace in the Middle East, the prescribed international consensus along with international law – UN resolutions, the UN Charter and Israel – must do several things.
“First, it must cease all its illegal settlement activities. Second, it must withdraw its troops from the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the surrounding Arab states. Third, it must allow Palestinian refugees their right to return to their land and property.
“Fourth, it must restore Jerusalem’s original status and, last but certainly not least, it must restore its credibility and return to the negotiating table with Palestine,” he said.
Muhyiddin said that Israel continues to threaten the Palestinian state with further annexation of Palestinian land, further denying Palestine any semblance of human security or peace.
He said that Malaysia’s position remained clear and consistent that annexation was illegal and violated the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions and relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council.
The prime minister said Malaysia supported the call from the international community, including the UN secretary general, for the Middle East Quartet (the United States, Russia, the European Union and the UN) to find a mutually agreed path for the parties re-commit to a negotiated peaceful settlement.
“We continue to call on the international community to defend Palestine’s legitimate right to self-determination, which is one of the fundamental principles of the UN when it was created 75 years ago,” he said.
Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said the after-effects of the crisis in Rakhine State, which includes the mass migration of people from Myanmar, have significantly impacted not only Malaysia but also other neighboring countries.
He said Malaysia currently hosts the largest number of Rohingya refugees in Southeast Asia.
“As a developing nation facing the cost of managing and providing protection to nearly 180,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers in the country, of which 86% are from Myanmar, our resources are scarce.
“However, Malaysia is expected to do more to accommodate these incoming refugees. Is that fair?”
Although Malaysia is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, Muhyiddin said the country had assumed social and financial responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds.
As such, he said that the time has come for States parties to the Convention to assume a proportionate burden and responsibility to address the problem by opening their doors to more refugees for resettlement and relocation.
Commemorating the UN’s 75th anniversary this year, Muhyiddin said it was hard to deny that the UN had managed to enable human society to progress in so many aspects, from education to the environment, health and social security of millions.
“Unfortunately, in recent times multilateral commitments are becoming less compelling because states are less willing to uphold shared values and solve challenges together.
“Governments are turning inward, pushing for a national perspective that gains more immediate public support,” he added.
Muhyiddin said Malaysia has long held the belief that the world demands the collaborative commitment of all to preserve stability, tranquility and peace, and that the international community must work together to uphold a system based on shared universal values. through dialogue and cooperation.- Bernama
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