THE presence of an international peace centre could put Malaysia on the same level as other developed countries, an expert said.

He added that such a centre was necessary to examine cultural conflicts in the Southeast Asian region, including Islamophobia and extremism, following news that the government is considering reviving the King Salman Centre for International Peace (KSCIP), which was cancelled in 2018.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia was open to restarting talks on building KSCIP and did not agree with the way the centre’s operations were shut down without consulting Riyadh.

The KSCIP was first proposed after King Salman Abdul Aziz Al-Saud visited Malaysia in March 2017, an idea cemented with former prime minister Najib Razak at a summit in Riyadh, which was attended by then US president Donald Trump.

The project was abruptly cancelled by the Pakatan Rakyat government in 2018, a move which Anwar now says he opposed.

However, International Islamic University Malaysia security expert Ahmed El-Muhammady said Malaysia could become the bridge between the Arab world, southeast Asia and the Western bloc if the centre is built.

The academic added that the centre can look into important matters surrounding the Muslim world, from Islamophobia to radicalisation of Muslims.

“If it is revived, we will have an international body with experts from around the world that is focused on fostering peace. The potential and the benefit to us is huge.

“This is a bridge between us in southeast Asia and the Western world, as well as the Arab league. The centre can focus on various issues including inter-religious debate.

“The centre also can strengthen our relationship with Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the idea to revive the centre is good and should be considered,” Ahmed said.

Funding question

Meanwhile, programme director Badrul Hisham Ismail of Iman Research – a think tank that focuses on protective security and peace-building – asked how it would be funded.

He said, while there is a need for an international centre for building peace, Putrajaya has to be clear on who would provide the finance.

“Who would be paying for the project? Is it from Saudi Arabia? If it is not, the name shouldn’t be King Salman. If we are paying for it, we should have our name on it,” Badrul said.

He also played down Saudi Arabia’s effectiveness in combating radicalism and fostering peace, adding that the kingdom has also been involved in war in Yemen.

“Saudi Arabia is not so effective in handling radicalism. It is controversial because it is responsible for the war in Yemen.

“It cannot act as a peace negotiator in the Palestine-Israel conflict, so if Saudi can’t play a role in its own region – in the Middle East – how can we expect it to play a role internationally?

“Not being a key player in terms of peace in your own region, being involved in a war and opening up a peace and reconciliation institute. That is the antithesis of conflict resolution,” he said. – March 27, 2023.