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President Cyril Ramaphosa and Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
President Cyril Ramaphosa has thanked the Malaysian government for supporting South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), saying that Israel is committing “genocide” in the Gaza Strip.
Ramaphosa arrived Friday night in Kuala Lumpur for a working visit where he’ll be participating in the ASEAN Summit on Sunday.
South Africa and Malaysia enjoyed exceptionally warm and dynamic relations in the decade following 1994.
Ramaphosa has compared the war in Gaza to the apartheid era in South Africa.
“Complaint to the ICC a move that you have supported us in much as it has been risky and met with a lot of opposition but we thank you acknowledging that it was a courageous move on our part and we will continue to seek justice for the people of Palestine like the world sought to see justice for us as SA when they also wanted the UN to declare apartheid a crime against humanity. We are seeing the genocide that is unfolding in Gaza so fit that we should act in the same way that the world acted when the opposed apartheid.”
Strengthen bilateral cooperation
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with Ramaphosa on Saturday on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit, where they agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors.
“We have reconfirmed that trade and investment opportunities need to be expanded between our two countries, particularly during this period of geopolitical tensions and challenges where trade is being used as a weapon,” Ramaphosa said during a news conference after his meeting with Anwar.
At the briefing, Anwar also lauded Ramaphosa for being “a new voice of conscience” when it came to Gaza.
“On behalf of Malaysia, I must also express my profound gratitude for this courage to defend what is right,” Anwar told the South African president.
“We thank you for acknowledging that it was the courageous move on our part, and we will continue to seek justice for the people of Palestine like the world sought to seek justice for us as South Africans when they also went to the United Nations to declare apartheid a crime against humanity,” said Ramaphosa in response.
Leaders of the 10-member ASEAN and their dialogue partners, including US President Donald Trump, will meet in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28 and are expected to tackle issues ranging from trade to global conflicts.
Additional reporting Reuters
