Anwar said that Western officials have repeatedly asked Malaysia to condemn Hamas in meetings but his government “does not agree” with their attitude.
“I said that we, as a policy, have a relationship with Hamas from before, and this will continue,” Anwar said on Monday in remarks to parliament.
“As such, we don’t agree with their pressuring attitude, as Hamas, too, won in Gaza freely through elections, and Gazans chose them to lead.”
Western governments have condemned Hamas and called on other countries to stand with Israel after Hamas earlier this month carried out the deadliest attack on the country in decades.
Israel’s subsequent bombardment of Gaza has killed at least 2,750 people and wounded nearly 10,000 others, according to Palestinian officials. Another 1,000 people are believed to be trapped under rubble in the enclave.
Malaysia, where about 60 percent of the population is Muslim, is a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights and does not have diplomatic ties with Israel.
Last week, Anwar criticised the international community for what he said was their one-sided stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“The international community continues to take one-sided actions regarding all forms of cruelty and oppression to the Palestinian people. The confiscation of land and property belonging to the Palestinian people is done relentlessly by the Zionists,” he said on X.
“As a result of this injustice, hundreds of innocent lives were sacrificed. Malaysia remains in solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people.”
Malaysian has long been a supporter of the Palestinian cause [Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters]
The Malaysian leader’s comments came as his country’s foreign ministry issued a statement urging the United Nations Security Council to call for a ceasefire.
“There should be no disproportionate treatment and flagrant hypocrisy in dealing with any regime that practices apartheid and blatantly violates human rights and international law,” the ministry said.
On Friday, about 1,000 Muslims rallied in Kuala Lumpur to express solidarity with Palestinians, chanting “Free Palestine” and “Crush the Zionists” as they burned effigies draped with Israeli flags.
Hamas leaders have in the past visited Malaysia and met with its leaders.
In 2013, former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak defied Israel’s blockade on Gaza and crossed into the enclave following an invitation from the group.
All the six states vehemntly condemned the Israeli aggression in Gaza nd pounding more than 6000 bombs, use of white phosphorus and killing 2750 civilians which is war crime. They said that United States must condemn israel for its expansion strategy and occupy the Gaza strip.
Just four days after he paid a lightning visit to Tel Aviv to show solidarity, Blinken was expected to meet Israeli leaders in Jerusalem as Israel prepares a major ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
“I want an opportunity to share everything that I’ve heard – that I’ve learned – over the last few days visiting with our other partners and to talk about the way forward with our Israeli allies and friends,” Blinken told reporters Sunday in Cairo.
The trip comes as President Joe Biden reportedly considers an invitation to visit Israel to demonstrate further what the US leader has described as unwavering solidarity.
Israel has carried out relentless bombing, killing at least 2,670 people, the majority ordinary Palestinians, in the blockaded and impoverished Gaza Strip.
US officials say Blinken heard wide opposition to Hamas from leaders during his tour – but also concern on the plight of the Palestinians. “I made clear that it cannot be – must not be – business as usual with Hamas going forward,” Blinken said in Cairo.
“And at the same time, as I said, we’re determined to do everything we can to address the needs of people in Gaza,” he said.
“Civilians should not have to suffer for Hamas’s atrocities.”
Under US pressure, Israel on Sunday resumed the supply of water to the southern Gaza Strip after earlier vowing to keep out all supply of food, water and energy to the densely populated territory.
The United States also named a coordinator to spearhead humanitarian relief into Gaza, retired ambassador David Satterfield, who was expected to arrive in Israel on Monday.
The Biden administration has said that Israel has a right to respond and has stopped short of calling for restraint or a ceasefire.Blinken says US Arab allies don’t want Israel conflict to spread
But it has also warned against more extreme measures such as mass expulsion of Palestinians, a prospect feared by Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas, a Hamas rival based in the West Bank.
Biden, in an interview aired Sunday with the CBS News show “60 Minutes,” cautioned of dangers in any bid by Israel to reoccupy Gaza.
“I think it would be a mistake,” Biden said.
Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005. Two years later, Israel imposed an air, land and sea blockade of the territory after it came under the control of Hamas, considered a terrorist group by Israel and the United States.
Blinken held talks in four of the five Arab states with diplomatic relations with Israel – Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
He also visited Saudi Arabia, which put its own normalisation bid with Israel on hold after the violence, and Qatar, a US partner that maintains relations with Hamas.
