OPENING REMARKS YB DATO’ SERI UTAMA HAJI MOHAMAD BIN HAJI HASAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MALAYSIA FOURTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON COOPERATION AMONG EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES[...]

His Excellency Takeshi Iwaya,

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan,

His Excellency Dr. Estephan Salameh,

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of the State of Palestine,

Distinguished Ministers,

Representatives of International Organisations,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. On behalf of the Government of Malaysia, I thank you for extending your stay in Malaysia. Your participation in this important Conference, attests to our unwavering commitment to the Palestinian cause.

1. The situation in the illegally Occupied Palestinian Territory by Israel is simply beyond catastrophic, with no immediate resolution to the plight of the Palestinians.

1. Israel's apartheid policies, which have been allowed by the international community to continue for more than seven decades, are a systemic genocidal act against Palestinians.

1. Israel's atrocities, are blatant violations of its obligations as an Occupying Power, of international law and the UN Charter. Israel's indiscriminate murder of innocent civilians daily, is utterly insane.

1. In Gaza alone, more than 55,000 civilians, mostly women and children, have been slaughtered. Starvation has become a method of warfare and critical supplies including food are being weaponised.

1. The regime-sponsored settler violence remains unabated.

1. Israel continues to destroy critical infrastructures, including health facilities, homes and schools, making Gaza inhabitable, with the sole motive of denying Palestinians their right to return to their homeland.

1. Israel, with absolute impunity, has effectively imposed the death sentence on the Palestinians by banning UNRWA, their lifeline, from undertaking its UN mandated roles and functions.

1. The international community has to act swiftly, as the fate of millions of Palestinians is at grave stake.

1. Israel must be compelled to end its murderous war and atrocities against Palestinians, and the Regime must be held accountable.

1. We must demand an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire, to begin with.

1. Humanitarian assistance must be allowed unimpeded, and provided at-scale. Malaysia will continue to support UNRWA's mandate and we urge all States to intensify their humanitarian support to Palestinians especially those in Gaza. The current so-called alternative body is neither recognised by the United Nations nor supported by the international community to be trustworthy and efficient in providing humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Malaysia reiterates its long-standing stance on Palestinians' right to self-determination, through the swift establishment of a sovereign State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. We call upon the remaining 46 States to recognise the State of Palestine without any preconditions, and to admit Palestine as a full member of the United Nations without any further delay.

1. That said, we are gathered here to explore practical and effective measures to assist Palestine. In doing so, we must ensure effective coordination, while streamlining national efforts with our collective assistance to Palestine.

1. CEAPAD cannot operate like business as usual, because the situation on the ground is extremely dire and the needs are urgent. We have to strengthen CEAPAD to be able to effectively and swiftly respond to Palestinians' needs. Failure to do so will render CEAPAD ineffective.

1. We count on your support to ensure CEAPAD's collective and unwavering commitment to the Palestinian cause, especially in the form of assistance and State-building, commensurate with the dire situation on the ground.

1. The Kuala Lumpur Action Plan 2025 sets the tone for this.

1. As part of Malaysia's continued commitment to the Palestinian cause, we are pursuing targeted assistance, focusing on humanitarian aid, reconstruction and State-building for Palestine. We are ready to undertake these efforts now, but of course the conducive conditions must prevail.

1. Currently, through Malaysia's Trust Fund for Palestine and the Ops Ihsan initiative, Malaysia has been pursuing multi-stakeholder collaboration to assist Palestine. Since the end of 2023, Malaysia has contributed approximately USD 16 million.

1. Malaysia will undertake more capacity building assistance through the Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme. We assure you of our continuous commitment to this and welcome collaboration with partners.

1. On that note, I thank you.