【Text by Observer Network Columnist Wan Cheng】

"Because of the voices we have raised and the positions we have taken, Malaysia has become a target for drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and Mossad agents' infiltration. In the latest briefings from our intelligence agencies, there are genuine concerns about national security."

On July 22, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar stated in the Malaysian Parliament that Malaysia has become a target of infiltration by Israel's Intelligence and Security Agency (Mossad), and he pledged to take more security measures.

Video screenshot of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar

The "voices we have raised and the positions we have taken" mentioned by Anwar refer to Malaysia's support for Palestine and its criticism of Israel since the outbreak of the new round of the Israel-Palestine conflict in 2023.

Indeed, supporting the cause of Palestine and the well-being of its people has been Malaysia's long-term foreign policy, starting from the time of Malaysia's national independence.

At the United Nations General Assembly on October 2, 1969, Malaysia's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman clearly raised the issue of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy city of Jerusalem belonging to Palestine, becoming the first Muslim leader to commit to resolving the Palestinian issue within the framework of the United Nations. The Tunku Abdul Rahman government also established the first Asian office of Fatah in Kuala Lumpur.

Subsequently, Malaysia continued to use the platform of Islamic international organizations to actively voice support for Palestine. During the Islamic Foreign Ministers' Conference held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from March 23 to 25, 1970, Tunku Abdul Rahman's successor, Abdul Razak, strongly condemned the Israeli Zionist regime's stance of suppressing the Palestinian people and pledged that Malaysia would resolutely support the cause of the Palestinians in their struggle for land and people's well-being.

After the rule of Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister, known as the "father of Malaysia's modernization," Mahathir Mohamad, the support for the Palestinian cause was pushed to a new height. After taking power in 1981, "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People" became a festival celebrated annually in Malaysia. Later, he not only recognized the diplomatic status of the Palestine Liberation Organization but also invited Yasser Arafat to visit Malaysia and facilitated this visit.

In addition, Mahathir not only spoke out for Palestine at multiple international organizations and Non-Aligned Movement meetings, but also condemned the wrong actions of major powers, especially the United States, in the Israel-Palestine issue. In 2011, during Najib's administration, Malaysia established the Palestine Cultural Organization. This organization is dedicated to raising awareness among Malaysians about the Palestinian cause, and it actually acts as the "embassy" of Hamas in Malaysia and is responsible for receiving visits from Hamas leaders and Malaysian political and business figures.

In 2013, then-Prime Minister Najib visited the Gaza Strip along with his Foreign Minister and other senior officials, calling on Israel to "stop its military aggression against the Palestinians." This move made Najib the second head of state to visit the Gaza Strip after the Hamas took power, following the former Emir of Qatar Hamad.

Complementary to supporting the Palestinian cause is Malaysia's consistent non-recognition of Israel's legitimacy and its refusal to establish diplomatic relations with it. Opening a Malaysian passport will show a statement in both English and Malay: valid for all countries except Israel. Therefore, Israeli citizens cannot legally enter Malaysia. On September 6, 2023, an Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai to Singapore had to make an emergency landing at a Malaysian airport due to weather conditions, but 12 Israeli citizens on board could not disembark and were stranded on the plane for five hours.

In addition to publicly condemning and criticizing Israel, Malaysia even removes all elements related to Jewish culture from cultural activities. In 1984, Mahathir banned the New York Philharmonic Orchestra from performing in Kuala Lumpur, the reason being that the orchestra refused to remove the "Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra in Hebrew" from its program.

After the 2023 Israel-Palestine conflict, the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling the Israeli government "an apartheid government" that has caused the Palestinians "long-term illegal occupation, blockades, and suffering." On October 16, the Malaysian Ministry of Education announced that it withdrew from the Frankfurt Book Fair because the organizers took a pro-Israeli stance.

On September 5, 2024, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, while attending the Russian Eastern Economic Forum, once again commented on the Israel-Palestine issue. His firm support for Palestine, strong opposition to the U.S. and Israel, and praise for the positions of China and Russia sparked heated discussions inside and outside the forum.

The factor of Pan-Islamic solidarity is the main reason for Malaysia's support for the Palestinian cause. By the 15th century, Islam had become the mainstream religion in the Malay Peninsula and the northern part of Borneo, which includes today's Malaysian territory. In the next three centuries, more Malays chose to embrace Islam.

However, the rapid rise of Islam in Malaysian society began in the 1970s and quickly had an impact on the political field. The outbreak of the May 13 Incident in 1969 laid the groundwork for Malaysia's future national Islamicization policy. Afterwards, the Islamic revival movement emerged in Malaysia, and under this context, the Islamic Youth Movement, a political Islamic organization that would later influence Malaysia's political and social life, was born. This organization, led by the current Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar, aims to establish an Islamic state or achieve the Islamicization of society, and is known as the cradle of cultivating Malaysian political leaders.

Malaysian Water Mosque

From an international perspective, the failure of Arab countries in the Third Middle East War further stimulated the nerves of Malaysian Muslims; the rise of petrodollars closely connected Malaysia's political and economic relations and personnel exchanges with Gulf countries, and the Salafi ideology had a greater impact on Malaysia; the victory of the Iranian Islamic Revolution and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan intensified the international consciousness of Malaysian Muslims, making Malaysia more morally conscious and responsible towards global Islamic affairs.

After Mahathir's rule, Malaysia was fully Islamicized in the judicial, economic, and social fields. It is worth noting that it was during Mahathir's tenure that UMNO successfully incorporated the Islamic Youth Movement. After joining UMNO, Anwar was entrusted by Mahathir to formulate specific policies for the country's Islamicization and supervise their implementation. Soon, Islam became the value norms and moral standards for most Malays.

It is against this backdrop of the increasing role of Islam in social and political life that the Malaysian government, non-governmental organizations, and the public formed a chorus of support for the Palestinian cause. Apart from government actions, since 2009, four local Malaysian non-governmental organizations, including Sinta Gaza, Oman Palestine, Malaysian Humanitarian Concern, and Global Peace Mission, have continuously provided humanitarian aid to Palestine through local volunteers. After October 7, 2023, these four Malaysian NGOs, along with other NGOs, provided basic living supplies to Gaza, including food and generator fuel.

Additionally, during my research trip to Malaysia from January to February this year, I found that whether it is the exterior of government buildings, public spaces such as schools, buses, and ferries, or the exterior of residential buildings, one can see the Palestinian flag hanging to express support for Palestine. In television news broadcasts and TV commentaries involving the Israel-Palestine conflict, one can also see anchors and commentators wearing ties or scarves in the style of the Palestinian flag.

Malaysian civilians demonstrating in support of Palestine. Photo by Malaysian media

The influence of Islam has also changed Malaysia's own positioning. Is Malaysia still considered an edge area of the Islamic world by the world for a long time? Although the majority of people may still hold this view, according to the Malaysians, this view is already outdated.

Since Mahathir's rule, Islam has rapidly politicized and institutionalized. Subsequent politicians, whether Badawi or Najib, proposed the concepts of "Modern Civilized Islam" and "Moderate Islam", although emphasizing inclusiveness and diversity in their external propaganda, they retained the essence of Islam to the maximum extent. Under the impetus of this force, Malaysia is committed to building the country into a new center outside the two holy sites - a global Islamic financial center, a halal food certification and production center, and an Islamic tourism center.

More importantly, in the international political arena, Malaysia is committed to positioning itself as the moral center of the Islamic world. This is not only reflected in the issue of Palestine, but also in later events such as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Bosnian conflict.

After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the Malaysian government quickly responded, actively supporting and sympathizing with Afghanistan. By the time Mahathir took office in 1982, Malaysia had donated 400,000 ringgits to the Afghan Refugee Special Fund and designated March 21 every year as "Afghan Day" to support the people of Afghanistan.

Compared to the Afghanistan issue, Malaysia went further in the Bosnian conflict. The government sent 10,500 soldiers to the conflict area for peacekeeping operations. Even after the UN peacekeeping forces withdrew from certain conflict areas, Malaysian soldiers remained in those areas. During this period, the Malaysian government bore all the costs of the peacekeeping operations.

Actively participating in global Islamic affairs has accumulated a lot of reputation capital for Malaysia. Since then, Malaysian leaders, especially Mahathir, have highlighted Malaysia's contributions to the Islamic world in various public fields and criticized the Western countries led by the United States for their erroneous perceptions and actions on this issue.

However, the active promotion of the institutionalization of Islam, and the direction of identifying itself as a "new center" in multiple fields of the Islamic world, has brought both reputation and problems for Malaysia.

Whether it is Mahathir's declaration in 2001 that Malaysia has become an Islamic country, or the "Allah's Socks" incident that caused a stir in early 2024, or the current policy arrangement of Anwar to have the Islamic Development Authority supervise and guide the work of government departments, they have caused internal divisions in Malaysian society and impacted multiculturalism. Moreover, Malaysia's active efforts to support the Palestinian cause have also attracted real retaliation from Israel, as Anwar mentioned at the beginning of the article, that the Mossad organization has conducted multiple assassination activities within Malaysia.

Then, due to the needs of election politics and the ever-changing international situation, Malaysia's steps in promoting the Islamicization of the country and actively participating in Islamic affairs globally will go further. In the long run, Malaysia will remain a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.

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