Overplaying Palestine Issue Won T Backfire On Anwar Say Analysts

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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently said Malaysia will begin rebuilding efforts in Gaza by constructing a school, a hospital and a mosque.
PETALING JAYA: Two analysts have dismissed the notion that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s plan to help rebuild Gaza will backfire on his leadership, but say a balance must be struck between international and domestic issues.
James Chin of University of Tasmania said Anwar’s plans to help rebuild the war-torn strip may solidify his support among the Muslim community.
“I think his position on the Palestinian cause is very popular with the Muslim population in Malaysia. And the Muslim population is the majority in the country,” he told FMT.
Chin said a backlash would only arise if the economy worsens and the ringgit weakens, as the public would accuse Anwar for focusing on Palestine and neglecting domestic issues.

“So, that is the clear danger. He has to balance that when he is working on this (Palestine) issue,” he said, adding that the economy was “still in trouble” as the nation had yet to fully recover from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He added that Anwar’s push to help Palestinians would alienate the non-Muslim population, who may feel the prime minister was trying to boost his Muslim credentials and, therefore, does not give the impression that he is a leader for all Malaysians.
Julau MP Larry Sng, responding to the government’s plan to help with rebuilding efforts in Gaza, was reported to have said that Anwar must understand that his first priority is Malaysia and that overplaying the Palestinian cause will backfire on his leadership.
Anwar has since rebuked his critics, hitting out at their lack of compassion.
Azmil Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) also disagreed with Sng that overplaying the Palestine issue would backfire on Anwar’s leadership.
He said Anwar just needs to strike a balance between his commitment to aiding Gaza while also addressing local economic and public concerns.
Azmil felt that Putrajaya needed to better explain the decision and justify that it was done on humanitarian grounds.
“The government needs to take control of this narrative that it is imperative to help the needy both at home and abroad,” he said.
Azmi Hassan from Akademi Nusantara said there was no question about “overplaying” the Palestinian cause as it aligns with the country’s long-standing foreign policy.
He pointed out that Anwar’s predecessors have advocated for Palestine’s independence as a sovereign state, but in their own way, implicitly or otherwise.
“Malaysia’s foreign policy towards the Palestinian cause has been consistent since the country’s independence,” he said. - FMT

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