MALAYSIA regrets the stance adopted by several Western nations seen as unwilling to support humanitarian issues in Gaza, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said. 

He said Malaysia is resolute in its position that all forms of attacks on civilians, including Palestinian women and children, must be stopped, and humanitarian assistance must be provided to them.

However, he said several Arab leaders he has met with so far have provided positive responses to the issues raised by Malaysia on developments in Gaza.

“Many Islamic countries have made positive determinations. Stop the attacks and intensify efforts to assist the people of Gaza from a humanitarian perspective,” he said during a press conference at the end of his two-day working visit to Turkey.

Earlier, Anwar had a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Vahdettin Palace in Istanbul, where they discussed various issues, including trade, economic cooperation and bilateral relations.

Prior to that, the prime minister also held meetings with Turkish Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and the country’s National Intelligence Organisation director Ibrahim Kalin.

Anwar said Turkey is at the forefront to provide aid to the Palestinian people, as the country had worked on channelling various forms of medical aid to Gaza despite the logistical issues.

Meanwhile, the prime minister said the conflict in Gaza was worrisome because if Israel persisted in invading and capturing the territory, it would lead to a prolonged crisis involving many Arab countries.

Anwar later departed from Istanbul to continue his working visit in Egypt, where he is expected to hold a meeting with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, with humanitarian issues to continue to be the main topic of discussion. – Bernama, October 23, 2023.