Illegal Israeli actions in OPT/Gaza attacks – Malaysian Parliament resolution – Letter from Malaysia

    Letter dated 14 January 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly

  I have the honour to forward herewith a copy of the resolution passed by the Malaysian Parliament condemning the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian territory of Gaza. The resolution was tabled by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, on 12 January 2009, at a special sitting of the Malaysia’s House of Representatives (see annex).

  The 10-point resolution, inter alia, calls for the United Nations to compel Israel to immediately cease its military attacks on Gaza; demands a full withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian Territory of Gaza; urges the United Nations to convene an emergency special session of the General Assembly; appeals for the international community to immediately extend humanitarian contributions to Gaza; and urges all parties to adhere to resolutions adopted by the Security Council on this matter in efforts towards the peace process.

  Malaysia looks forward to the emergency special session of the General Assembly under resolution 377 (V), to be held tomorrow, 15 January 2009.

(Signed ) Hamidon Ali

Ambassador

Permanent Representative of Malaysia

    Annex to the letter dated 14 January 2009 from the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations addressed to the President of the General Assembly

     Resolution in accordance with standing orders 27(3)

    Condemnation of Israeli attacks on the Palestinian Territory of Gaza 

  In accordance with Standing Orders 27(3), the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Malaysia, hereby adopts the following resolution:

  THAT Israel had launched a military attack called Operation “Cast Lead” on 27 December 2008 on the Palestinian Territory of Gaza comprising air bombardments followed by a military ground offensive on 3 January 2009;

  THAT the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian Territory of Gaza is an act which violates international law, human rights law, international humanitarian law and the Charter of the United Nations and is a war crime in breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War;

  THAT the Malaysian people holds firm to the stance that there is no strong justification for the disproportionate, indiscriminate and excessive attacks on the Palestinian Territory of Gaza and thus rejects the collective punishment imposed on the Palestinian people in Gaza; and

  THAT the Malaysian people are deeply dismayed and regret the inability of the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to immediately stop the aggression of the state of Israel on the Palestinian Territory of Gaza.

  THUS, this House resolves to:

 (1)   Condemn strongly the Israeli military attacks on the Palestinian Territory of Gaza claiming the lives of Palestinian civilians, including women, children, infants and the elderly, and urges the full withdrawal of Israel from the Palestinian Territory of Gaza;

 (2)   Urge the United Nations Security Council to compel Israel to immediately cease its military attacks on the Palestinian Territory of Gaza through a ceasefire and to decide to deploy a United Nations peacekeeping force to enforce the ceasefire;

 (3)   Urge the United Nations General Assembly to convene an emergency special session of the General Assembly under its resolution 377A (V) “Uniting for peace” — if the United Nations Security Council fails to implement its decisions as adopted on 8 January 2009;

 (4)   Urge the parties involved to continue efforts towards the peace process as well as to implement and adhere to the relevant resolutions adopted by the United Nations on the issue of Palestine and the Arab-Israeli conflict;

 (5)   Decide that Malaysia will work with the member states of the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League and other like-minded states to uphold the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations in addressing the conflict as currently developing in the Middle East;

 (6)   Express the solidarity of the Malaysian people towards the cause of the Palestinian people in establishing an independent and sovereign Palestinian state;

 (7)   Urge the Palestinian people to unite in safeguarding their inalienable rights and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state;

 (8)   Appeal to the international community to immediately extend humanitarian contributions to the people of the Palestinian Territory of Gaza;

 (9)   Urge the United Nations General Assembly to immediately establish an International Criminal Tribunal for Palestine to investigate and prosecute suspected Israeli war criminals involved in the brutal and aggressive acts on the Palestinian people; and

  (10)   Decide to transmit this resolution to all relevant Legislative Assemblies and Parliaments concerned, especially the United States Congress, the British Parliament and the European Parliament.

12 January 2009

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