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YOURSAY | Of OIC summit and Anwar’s rhetoric

This article is 8 months old

YOURSAY | 'PM should think of our own urgent and pressing problems instead.’

Anwar wants OIC members to call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

Arab-Islamic summit wants UN Security Council to impose ceasefire

Oct: There's no need for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to jet around the world to announce his support and solidarity for Palestine.

This is a very costly and time-consuming effort. A better cost-effective approach is to ring up the leaders of the United States, United Kingdom and France.

If they listen and accept Anwar’s fierce vocal support and solidarity for Palestine, they might feel small, threatened and be acceptable to Anwar's proposals.

Why not get our ambassadors and foreign affairs minister to help out to make the video conference a success?

This is the age of technology. No need to tire yourself out. If none of them wants to have a video conference, Anwar might as well forget about his crusade.

Just think of Malaysia's own urgent and pressing problems instead. Don't be a busybody.

Anwar must realise that this conflict is not like two kids fighting in the street where it can be resolved easily by telling their parents about it.

There is no reason why the members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will listen to an insignificant person who doesn't have the clout and no rights to Middle East affairs to come and lecture them. They are more capable and skilful in resolving this war themselves.

There is a better and more high-profile option. Since Anwar and his delegation are around Gaza, he should lead the delegation to Gaza to have a first-hand look at the Palestinians suffering from the war. Be a man to show courage, strength and solidarity for the Palestinians.

Let's hope Anwar can meet up with US President Joe Biden at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meeting to tell Biden off for his reluctance to end the war. Also, Anwar can inform Biden that Malaysia is not afraid of any US sanctions as Malaysia is a sovereign country. Let's not hear that Biden is too busy and has no time to meet Anwar.

JazliSalleh: Let’s hope Anwar will be able to convey strategies on how the Arab world should move on with times and get their people to work and live in peace with people of different faiths.

Enough of forever being in a state of conflicts, fights and war. It brings no human benefits.

He should showcase our Malaysian model on how we nip extremism in the bud. We should market our Malaysian model of unity to the outside world and be proud of it. That would be a strong selling point for Malaysia.

Maya: Among the OIC’s 57 countries there are warring factions, which has been ongoing, but nothing done or nothing can be done, by the OIC.

There is war and unrest in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and many of the African member countries.

There is an outpouring of refugees from many of these countries because of severe unrest, it is not mere poverty. It is more of instability and suffering.

It is far from a complex issue because they themselves cannot accept one another and hence are party to instability in the region.

Some countries have their minds on economic development, as they realise that oil and gas is not lifelong and now working on other wider scope of economic development.

The most recent peace initiative by Saudi Arabia, of a two-state existence, went up in smoke. The most they may do is to channel funds to help them out during a crisis.

The Gaza issue is not just Palestine or Jews or confined just to Gaza and Israel but is very complex and wide-ranging.

So, this whole OIC meeting has no clout. If at all only the US can push Israel to force a, that too, temporary ceasefire provided the hostages are released.

Anwar knows the complexity of the issue but needs to pacify the local masses. This only makes the rationality of this complex issue much more challenging for many at home to decipher.

All this is sadly at the expense of our own well-being, which is politically and economically wilting. Maybe that is the distraction to sway away from?

Man on the Silver Mountain: It's a no-brainer. I can't believe how the OIC members could go along with this charade knowing pretty well they cannot get what they ask.

What is there for Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire? At least you talk about the release of the hostages, which is untouched at all in the OIC statement. They know how important is the hostages to Israel.

There’s no way Israel would agree to a ceasefire. They have the upper hand in this war. Their armed forces are already in Gaza, practically winning it.

It is a demand by the OIC which is unachievable.

BobbyO: So, they pass the buck to bell the cat to the UN. They wash their hands and expect the UN to now do their work of working on a cease-fire.

Secondly, they conveniently forgot who actually started the inhuman and barbaric acts. Now they want the UN to charge the Israelis before the International Criminal Courts.

Until they accept the facts that both sides have been involved in inhumane and barbaric acts, and those guilty must be brought before the International Criminal Court, there will be hardly any action by the UN.

The way they talk about the protection of the ummah is as if the Israeli lives do not matter.

Until the OIC respect and stand for the fact that all lives matter, the UN will just take it as a normal protest and let the situation decide for itself.

KCAmpang: There would be a reaction to every action. Palestinian land has been occupied by Israel since the 1960s; Palestinians in Gaza have been living for the past 18 years under the total sea, land and air blockade by Israel.

Israelis are building more and more settlements in Palestinian land in an attempt to change the demographics and make the occupation permanent.

More Palestinians were reportedly killed by the Israeli army and settlers in the months leading to the Hamas cross-border attack on Israel.

Should Palestinians accept all these without resistance?

VioletBeetle0699: Malaysians voted for Anwar to champion the Malaysians, not the Palestinians. Whatever he does, it carries weight. Whatever he says, it carries weight. Why? Because he’s the prime minister and he represents Malaysia.

But now he crossed the line so far that he ignored the welfare of Malaysians. Yes, the Palestinians are in desperate help. Does that mean Malaysians are not in desperate help based on the country’s current situation?

There are people here who are still living on the street, unable to buy food, unable to buy medicine. His obsession towards Palestinians is disappointing.

Please step down as a PM and set up an NGO to fight for the Palestinians. As a prime minister, he took all the time fighting for the Palestinians instead of fighting for Malaysians who are really in need. It seems the welfare of the Palestinian people is well taken off compared to Malaysians.

No use in making noises when the words aren’t bringing any impact at all. Please stop all this nonsense and focus on Malaysians’ welfare instead.


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