Malaysia, 2010

Allow me at the outset to

congratulate Mr. Deiss on his election as the President

of the Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. I am

confident that under his very able and astute

leadership, the sixty-fifth session will be able to

complete its proceedings successfully. Let me assure

him of Malaysia’s full support for his presidency.

Let me reaffirm Malaysia’s unwavering and

continuing support for the United Nations and the

multilateral principles, based on international law, that

it embodies. Let me also reiterate Malaysia’s

commitment to doing our part in our collective

endeavour. We do so in the strong belief that all

nations, no matter how large or small, rich or poor,

strong or weak, have a common responsibility towards

creating a better world for tomorrow.

It is my firm belief that in order to create a better

world for our future generations, we need to take into

account today’s realities and learn from the lessons of

yesterday.

Among the most important challenges

confronting the international community today that

need to be addressed collectively is that of ensuring a

just, equitable and durable peace — peace not just

during our time, but peace for all times. It is imperative

that we achieve peace based on a covenant of the

willing, and not one enforced by way of hegemony

through fear and coercion. Such peace can be achieved

only if we are willing to constructively engage with

each other through dialogue. Such discussions would

help in creating a deeper understanding as well as

appreciation of and respect for each other in our

determination to create a better future for all citizens of

the world.

As a trade organization, the World Trade

Organization remains relevant in today’s economic

climate. Malaysia believes that the Doha Round must

return to its original objective of ensuring free, fair and

equitable trade. Let us join efforts and focus on moving

the process forward and building on the progress and

achievements to date. It is urgent that we conclude this

matter as soon as possible.

Since the adoption of the Millennium

Development Goals a decade ago, which galvanized

the world into collective action, there has been a lack

of efforts on joint endeavours towards the betterment

of humanity. The missed opportunity at last year’s

climate change meeting in Copenhagen is a wake-up

call for all of us. We need to bridge the gaps in

resolving and addressing the issue of climate change,

which affects the lives and livelihoods of the peoples

of the world and our future generations.

On 7 June 2010, the Malaysian Parliament

unanimously passed a resolution condemning the brutal

Israeli attack on the humanitarian convoy in

international waters. That resolution was based on

humanitarian grounds and demanded that the

Palestinians be given their basic rights, and that was

why the members of the Parliament, regardless of their

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political alignment, stood together in full support of it.

We reaffirm today our solidarity and sympathy with the

people of Turkey and the families of the victims for

their tragic loss.

Malaysia understood the necessity of letting the

multilateral system work. We were happy to see the

establishment of the United Nations panel of inquiry

and the international fact-finding mission of the

Human Rights Council. We are pleased with the

findings of the fact-finding mission, whose report

(A/HRC/15/21) has found that the conduct of the

Israeli military and other personnel towards the flotilla

passengers was not only disproportionate but also

demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and

incredible violence. That inhuman attack constituted a

grave violation of human rights law and international

humanitarian law. The Malaysian Parliament feels

vindicated by those findings.

We are now waiting for the panel of inquiry to

complete its work. We want to see the perpetrators of

the attacks brought to justice and adequate

compensation provided to the innocent victims of the

attacks. We want the United Nations to act justly and

decisively, without fear or favour, in a manner that

would ensure that transgressions of blatant

international laws are dealt with and that justice is

done and seen to be done.

On the Middle East peace process, Malaysia is

encouraged by the recent developments, especially the

active role by the Obama Administration and the

Quartet in seeking a comprehensive and lasting

solution, a solution not only to the problem between

Palestine and Israel, but also in the wider region. We

welcome the recent initiative by the United States to

host direct peace talks between Palestine and Israel.

We also call on all parties to support, and not to be

distracted from, these efforts to achieve the aspiration

of creating two sovereign States, living side by side in

peace, within secure and recognized borders. For this

to happen, the following prerequisites should be

addressed.

First, Israel must heed the high expectations of

the international community to end this long-standing

conflict. We call on the United States and other

members of the Quartet to persuade Israel to end the

construction of new settlements in the West Bank and

Jerusalem.

Secondly, reconciliation efforts must bear fruit.

The achievement of political unity among the

Palestinians is vital in moving the peace process

forward and in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.

Thirdly, both parties must eschew violence and

ensure the protection of civilians and respect for

international humanitarian and human rights law.

While harnessing our efforts to promote

international peace and harmony, we are concerned

about the growing trend in some parts of the world to

perpetuate or even fuel Islamophobia. Attempts to

demonize Islam offend the one and a half billion

adherents of the religion. It widens the divide between

the Muslim world and the West.

The real issue is not between Muslims and

non-Muslims, but between the moderates and the

extremists of all religions, be it Islam, Christianity or

Judaism. In all religions, we have inadvertently

allowed the ugly voices of the periphery to drown out

the many voices of reason and common sense. I

therefore urge us to embark on building a global

movement of moderates from all faiths, moderates

committed to working together to combat and

marginalize the extremists who have held the world

hostage with their bigotry and bias. We must — I

repeat, must — urgently reclaim the centre and the

moral high ground that has been usurped from us. We

must choose moderation over extremism. We must

choose negotiation over confrontation. We must choose

to work together and not against each other, and we

must give this effort top priority, for time is not on our

side.

In this regard, we are heartened to note that a

group of American evangelical Christians worked

tirelessly to prevent the threatened burning of the

Koran, with the compelling argument that it is in fact

un-Christian to burn the Koran. This is a clear example

of what can be achieved when moderates in each faith

stand up to the extremists who are trying to hijack the

universal values of our religions.

We commend President Obama and Mayor

Bloomberg for rising to the challenge by affirming the

rights of supporters of the Cordoba House to be located

near the site of the World Trade Center. This project

will include a mosque and a multi-faith community

centre open to all. We support the objectives of the

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Cordoba Initiative, an organization that focuses on

promoting peace, understanding and moderation, both

between Muslims and non-Muslims and within the

Muslim community.

All countries should encourage and support

initiatives that promote mutual respect and peaceful

coexistence and reject the extremists who divide us all

with issues that have in the past brought about untold

misery and hatred.

Allow me to share my own country’s experience

in managing issues of diversity. Malaysia is a

multiracial, multi-religious, multicultural and

democratic society that has benefited from positive

interaction and synergy between the various

communities. Mosques, temples, churches and other

places of worship coexist in harmony. Although Islam

is the official religion, we honour other religions —

Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism — by making

their religious and cultural celebrations national

holidays and celebrating them as national events. It is

this equilibrium that leads to moderation or what is

called wasatiyyah in the Islamic tradition of mutual

justice.

Malaysia stands at the geographical crossroads of

the major civilizations and religions of the world. We

are therefore well poised to play our part in promoting

religious understanding, harmony and tolerance. To

further strengthen our process of national unity, I have

introduced a philosophy known as One Malaysia. One

Malaysia is a vision that seeks renewal and

rejuvenation to bring all our people together in a just

and harmonious relationship. One Malaysia calls for

the acceptance of diversity as a source of greater unity.

We seek to celebrate our multiethnic and

multi-religious society for strategic strength and

harmony.

It is time for the moderates in all countries and in

all religions to take back the centre, to reclaim the

agenda for peace and pragmatism and to marginalize

the extremists. This global movement of the moderates

will save us from sinking into the abyss of despair and

depravation. This is an opportunity for us to provide

much-needed leadership, to bring hope and to restore

dignity for all. With greater will and collective

determination, we will build a more peaceful, secure

and equitable world.