Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated on Wednesday that his country will not be intimidated into altering its decades-old policy of barring Israeli nationals from entering Malaysia. The remarks were made in response to US lawmakers who recently called for Washington to review its economic and security ties with Malaysia over the entry ban.
Anwar defended the policy by asserting that Malaysia is not in contravention of any international laws and has the sovereign right to enforce its own immigration policies. Furthermore, the Prime Minister dismissed calls for a US policy review as misguided and out of touch with global developments.
Amid these tensions, Anwar also addressed separate allegations regarding Hamas, rubbishing claims that group members were trained in Malaysia. He defended his contact with Hamas leadership, referencing his meeting with Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar in May 2024 to convey condolences following an Israeli airstrike that killed several of Haniyeh's family members. Domestically, Malaysian lawmakers from the DAP have backed the Prime Minister's stance, accusing US critics of weaponising accusations of antisemitism.
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