PARLIAMENT | The armed forces are ready to be deployed as peacekeepers in Palestine if instructed and mandated to do so, Defence Minister Mohamad Hasan told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Mohamad said preparations include troops from the Malaysian Batallion (Malbatt) - currently attached to the United Nations Mission in Lebanon - if there was a need for urgent evacuation of Malaysians in affected areas.
"Even though until now there is yet to be any decision by the United Nations on the matter (deploying peacekeepers), we are still ready. In fact, the ministry is closely monitoring developments in Palestine, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry.
"So if the government says to send troops to Palestine, we will do so.
"Because any decision on that matter is not under the purview of the Defence Ministry, but rather the Foreign Ministry," he said in his Supply Bill 2024 winding-up speech.
On Oct 16, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in his special motion on the issue of Palestine said any decision to deploy Malaysian troops for a peacekeeping mission or delivery of humanitarian aid, must be agreed upon by allies as well as Palestine's neighbouring countries.
Further, Mohamad said the issue of sending a peacekeeping mission to Palestine will also be raised at an Asean defence ministers meeting in Indonesia next week.
"I will bring the matter up as a side topic during the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting next week.
"We need to get the collective voice of Asean based on the concept of Asean centrality as we cannot do it on our own," he added.
He said this in response to Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) that a peacekeeping mission be proposed through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) rather than under the UN.
Since 1960, Malaysia has been involved in 37 UN missions, five of which are active, as part of peacekeeping forces in Lebanon and as observers in Congo, Sudan, Western Sahara and Yemen. - Mkini
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