Johari Abdul: Gaza never forgotten, call for end to genocide never wavered

by FARAH SOLHI

THE strong emphasis on continuous call for the Israeli occupation to end its genocide on Palestinians has never wavered, said ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) president Tan Sri Johari Abdul.

Johari said similar to ASEAN’s focus on solving the Myanmar humanitarian crisis, wars in other places such as Gaza and Ukraine were never forgotten.

“We did mention (in earlier meetings) on the issue of Gaza. There is a call to end the act of genocide, it is very clear. As much as we want issues in Myanmar and Ukraine to be solved, we have never left Gaza out.

“The call was consented by AIPA leaders. There is an urgent need of peaceful resolution including ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian assistance and an end to genocide,” he said after the ASEAN-AIPA Leaders’ Interface yesterday.

The call to end the Palestinian genocide, he added, has always been a very strong and serious one. He hoped more conversations on Gaza would be continued among ASEAN parliamentarians and government leaders.

Johari was asked for his thoughts on Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan’s May 26 remark urging ASEAN to stand together and uphold international law.

Mohamad was reported to have said that the bloc must not remain on the sidelines in the face of global injustices, as it has a responsibility to leverage its voice on the international stage to defend the oppressed.

The ASEAN-AIPA Leaders’ Interface held earlier was a hallmark of the bloc’s commitment to institutional synergy between the executive and the legislative branches.

The interface serves to align regional priorities through inclusive, multi-stakeholder governance, affirming the belief that ASEAN’s vision of a people-oriented, people-centred community can only be fully realised through robust parliamentary engagement and accountability.