Prime Minister of Malaysia H E Anwar Ibrahim
Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister of Malaysia H E Anwar Ibrahim has hailed Qatar as a close and valued partner, commending Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for his unwavering efforts to secure peace in Gaza.
In an interview with Qatar TV, Prime Minister Ibrahim expressed deep appreciation for Qatar’s leadership on regional and global issues.
He praised the Amir’s principled and persistent stance on Gaza and Palestine, noting that his dedication has earned the respect and admiration of Muslims worldwide, including in Malaysia.
“What is particularly important to me is the position taken by Qatar and H H the Amir on issues affecting the Ummah generally, on the Palestinian issue, to Gaza, to working hard and relentlessly to try and secure peace, ceasefire, and recognition for the State of Palestine,” said Ibrahim.
He said that this has endeared many Muslims, including in Malaysia, but more importantly, it is how you manage your country very successfully.
“The Amir’s visit would certainly also focus on the issue of trade, increasing trade among our countries, and also investments, so that we can use this exceptional friendship to focus on economic growth,” said Ibrahim.
He added: “Precisely because of the special relations between Qatar and the GCC, for example, with Malaysia and ASEAN, we are having a forum here which is unprecedented.”
The Malaysian Prime Minister further said: “We had one (summit) in Riyadh two years ago, but this is the first time we are having in the region, and Malaysia is grateful to H H the Amir and also the leaders of the GCC who have supported this endeavour. We look forward to, of course, some practical, effective projects and programmes out of this.”
He said, “Qatar played a very pivotal role, and it’s a very difficult role, at the time when the West took a position of blaming entirely on Hamas, and Qatar had this difficult role to navigate, because without the Palestinians and their representative, we can’t negotiate. So that is why they continue to engage with Hamas, and also the United States, and Egypt.”
He added: “My position is to support the Qatar initiative, to encourage them to secure peace, but also to show that we also condemn the atrocities inflicted on the innocent civilians, and against the principle of colonization of Gaza and the West Bank.
“But I certainly, and I made it clear, I told His Highness Amir that we appreciate his immense contribution to try and resolve this conflict.”
He said that the GCC, despite some of the problems in the surroundings, also happens to be most vibrant economically. “They have gone into digitalization, AI, and impressive progress in development, huge energy potential, and huge resources in terms of investment portfolio. I think this synergy between the two regions would certainly benefit both,” said Ibrahim.
