The Asean observer team, led by armed forces chief Nizam Jaffar, will be deployed to monitor developments on the ground, complemented by satellite monitoring.
In a statement, Anwar said he made the appeal in separate calls to Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Manet.
“I (have) conveyed Malaysia’s deep concern over the situation and urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint, cease all forms of hostilities and refrain from any further military actions, including the use of force or forward movement of armed units, with effect from 10pm today (UTC+7) ,” he said.
“To support de-escalation and promote transparency, I have requested the deployment of the Asean observer team, led by the armed forces chief (Nizam Jaffar), to monitor developments on the ground.”
He said the mission would be complemented by satellite monitoring capabilities provided by the US government, commencing at the same time.
Anwar, who is Asean’s chairman for 2025, said data from the satellite monitoring and field observations will be presented at the Asean foreign ministers’ meeting on Tuesday to “provide an objective account of the situation”.
He reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to working closely with Asean partners and the international community, emphasising that dialogue, diplomacy and restraint remained the best paths towards preserving peace in the region.
More than 500,000 people have fled their homes to safety in Thailand and Cambodia since the start of the border conflict that reignited earlier this week, surpassing the total number evacuated during similar clashes earlier this year.
This week’s clashes are the deadliest since five days of fighting in July that killed dozens and displaced around 300,000 on both sides of the border before a ceasefire deal was brokered by Anwar and US president Donald Trump.
Thailand and Cambodia have disputed parts of their 817km land border for over a century, with fights over ancient temples sparking occasional armed clashes, including a deadly week-long artillery exchange in 2011.
Tensions flared again in May after a Cambodian soldier was killed in a skirmish, triggering a major build-up of troops and renewed fighting, that has strained diplomatic ties. - FMT
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