PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim must work with US, Russia and China to find a solution to the Palestinian problem, Urimai president R. Ramasamy said.

He said that while it is important for Anwar to have links with Hamas and Arab leaders, he must also engage with world superpowers to find a way to end the Gaza war.

He said the role of Hamas at the forefront of the Palestine war against Israel must be considered if there is to be a resolution to the conflict.

“There can be no political settlement of the Palestinian problem without Hamas. Hamas might be condemned as a terrorist organisation but the fact remains that it is the only effective representative of the Palestinian people.

“In this respect, it is important for Anwar to have ties with the political outfit of Hamas,” the former Penang deputy chief minister said in in a statement.

Ramasamy said Anwar did not appear to know what was the best solution for the Palestinians.

“To date, he has not commented on the proposed two-state solution to resolve the Palestinian quest for statehood.

“Frequent meetings with Arab leaders and those in Hamas definitely improve Malaysia’s profile as a defender of the inalienable rights of the Palestinians.

“Anwar knows that there is no consensus among the Arab countries as to what should be the political solution for the future of the Palestinian people.

“Anwar knows very well that the US holds the key to the political solution for the Palestinians. But unfortunately, he is reluctant to engage the US (maybe) because his views are not appreciated in Washington,” he added.

Ramasamy said Anwar’s meetings with Hamas could pose a diplomatic problem because the US deemed the group to be a terrorist organisation.

He said it remains to be seen if the US is convinced by Anwar’s argument that his relationship is with the Hamas’ political organisation.

On Tuesday, Anwar met Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Khalid Mashal in Qatar during his three-day official visit there.

The prime minister told the two Hamas leaders that Malaysia remained committed to playing a role at the international level to stop the attack on Rafah.

Anwar said that during the meeting, he was provided an update on the latest situation in war-torn Palestine, which is subject to unrelenting attacks from Israel. – May 15, 2024.