A Bersatu lawmaker has questioned the assertiveness of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration after the opposition called for the government to table a motion, urging the United Nations to charge Israel and its prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu with war crimes.
Despite the prime minister’s vocal condemnation of the situation in Gaza, Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal rated his response to the crisis as “50-50”.
"I hope the prime minister will be more assertive against Israel and Netanyahu. This has not been done. Anwar has been 50-50 in his statements against Israel.
"I'm not saying he did not speak out. He did. But what I mean by 50-50 is from the context of his criticism and condemnation against Israel and its supporter the US,” he added.
According to the Machang MP, Perikatan Nasional’s “friends” in Wisma Putra have “tipped” that the government might not raise the issue of hauling Israel and Netanyahu to the International Court of Justice with the UN.
"This is what we have yet to hear from Wisma Putra,” he told reporters in Parliament today.
In a letter dated Oct 23, Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul had rejected Wan Fayhsal's motion, which was submitted under Rule 18(1) and (2).
Johari explained that Anwar had discussed the conflict during the prime minister's briefing session on Oct 16 while the deputy prime minister also addressed it on Oct 9.
Johari's decision was reiterated by deputy speaker Alice Lau when Wan Fayhsal raised the issue again this afternoon.
More needs to be done
Last week, the US vetoed Brazil’s proposed resolution to the UN Security Council for “humanitarian pauses” in Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
Meanwhile, Wan Fayhsal said Anwar had addressed the issue of the conflict before the Oct 17 explosion at the hospital in Gaza, which both the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a rival group to Hamas, and Israel have blamed each other.
"We have not had the chance to condemn and debate this matter, which has to do with war crimes under the Geneva Convention," he added.
Wan Fayhsal said the current government's position was different from the Najib Abdul Razak administration’s response to Israel’s aggression against Palestine in 2010.
"It is like the government now does not want to speak out and condemn the war crimes committed by Israel," he alleged.
In an immediate response to the explosion at the hospital, Anwar had called for a ceasefire to “end the madness”.
Tonight, the prime minister will be participating in the “Malaysia with Palestine Assembly” at the Axiata Arena Stadium in Bukit Jalil. - Mkini
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