KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Bernama) — Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Citizens International has condemned recent threats issued by a group of United States (US) lawmakers demanding Malaysia reverse its sovereign policy regarding Israeli citizens within a 15-day ultimatum.
Its Executive Director Imran Rasid said the demands issued, including by Greg Landsman, Josh Gottheimer, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, were nothing short of unacceptable political intimidation and an affront to the fundamental principle of sovereign equality enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
“For many countries of the Global South, sovereignty is not a ceremonial title. Malaysia, as a sovereign nation, has the capacity to say no to the demands of the powerful and to say yes only when a policy serves its own people.
“Similarly, Malaysia’s domestic and immigration policies are the sole prerogative of the Malaysian government and its people; they are not subjects for debate in the halls of the US Congress, nor shall any nation negotiate its immigration policy, or its foreign policy, under duress from a foreign legislature,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Imran also condemned the “bullying diplomacy” that attempts to force nations into simplistic “with us or against us” categories, which seeks to transform military and economic assistance into weapons of coercion to compel sovereign states to abandon their moral and political principles.
The lawmakers, in a letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urged the US to suspend its International Military Education Training (IMET) funding to Malaysia, if the country refused to reverse its policy within 15 days.
On allegations that Malaysia is “anti-Semitic,” Imran said the claims were false and aimed at silencing legitimate opposition to Israel’s policies and conducts such as its occupation of Palestinian territories, illegal settlements, and violations of international humanitarian law.
“Malaysia’s position is a principled opposition to occupation and apartheid with racial or religious hatred, based on our commitment to active nonalignment and principles of international law,” he said.
Citizens International also called on the Malaysian government to firmly reject these external threats without compromise, while urging the international community and Global South nations to defend national sovereignty against coercive diplomacy.
“Malaysia’s solidarity with the Palestinian people, alongside others in Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela, is a matter of justice, and humanity that will not be dictated by threats, sanctions, or external political pressure,” he added.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday reaffirmed that Malaysia will continue to bar Israeli nationals from entering the country despite objections raised by eight members of the US Congress.
Anwar said the Malaysian government’s position is guided by its commitment to defending the rights of the people and opposing the oppression, aggression, and continued killing of Palestinians in Gaza.
— BERNAMA