M’sia to attend ICJ on Palestinian conflict in February

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia plans to participate in an oral session of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in February next year in order to submit a statement on obtaining an advisory opinion on the Palestinian conflict, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir (pic).

He added that Malaysia had previously participated in submitting a written statement to obtain an advisory opinion on the Palestinian issue, which was submitted to the ICJ registrar on July 25 this year. The statement focused on the violation of the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination by Israel.

“Malaysia plans to participate in an oral session that is expected to take place on Feb 19 next year,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Zambry was responding to Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas), who asked why Malaysia has yet to make a firm statement regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict by calling for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Zambry said issues related to the Palestinian issue have already been brought to the ICC.

“According to the provisions in the Rome Statute, an international criminal case listed in the Statute can only be referred to the ICC by three parties, namely either the member states of the Rome Statute themselves, which Malaysia is not a member of, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), or the ICC Prosecutor.”

In April 2019, Malaysia announced its withdrawal from ratifying the Rome Statute of the ICC after having already signed it on March 4 of the same year.

The then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia is not against the Rome Statute but decided to withdraw “because of the political confusion about what it entails, caused by people with vested interests”. The Rome Statute is the treaty that establishes the ICC.

Meanwhile, Zambry said Malaysia’s commitment to upholding Palestinian rights is evident through the move by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to visit several countries to discuss the issue with other leaders.

He added that Anwar had held meetings on the Palestinian issue with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt during his visits to the three countries.

“It is rather unprecedented in the context of Malaysia to go around the world during a serious situation. In recent days, Malaysia has increased its pressure to the highest level in asking the international community to stop closing their eyes by allowing the Zionist regime to kill civilians,” he said.