PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has called on the United Nations (UN) to abolish or restrict the use of the veto in the Security Council, warning that the organisation’s credibility is on the line as conflicts rage, particularly in Palestine.
Speaking at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said repeated abuse of the veto had paralysed the UN and derailed global peace efforts.
“Repeated failures of the Security Council to fulfil the will of the General Assembly must be met with strong resistance.
“No more shall we quietly accept the dismissal of our collective voice. We must question and challenge the veto. We must free the Security Council from this humiliating paralysis.”
Mohamad said urgent reforms are critical if the UN is to stay relevant, including restoring authority to the General Assembly as the most inclusive body in the organisation.
“First, we must limit if not abolish the veto and challenge it every time it is wielded, particularly in cases of crimes against humanity.
“Second, authority must flow back to the General Assembly.
“Third, we must redesign global financing mechanisms to ensure transparency and fairness for the Global South.”
He added that without reform, the international community would lose faith in the UN, particularly over its decades-long failure to resolve the Palestinian issue.
Mohamad condemned what he described as genocide in Gaza by Israel, accusing powerful nations of shielding it from accountability while atrocities continue.
“In Gaza, the clock is ticking, bombs are falling and the light is fading. We have failed at least 70,000 people.”
He said Israel could no longer hide behind claims of victimhood, citing mounting global protests and condemnation.
“From London to Dhaka, from Paris to Sydney, from Montreal to Kuala Lumpur, people have spoken in grief and outrage.
“More and more are standing up for the truth that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. The eyes of the world are upon us. We must act now. Sanction Israel.”
He also criticised Israel’s recent strike in Doha, describing it as not merely an attack on Hamas representatives but “an assault on another state’s soil and an insult to all mediation efforts”.
Mohamad said unchecked Israeli aggression threatens to destabilise not only the Middle East but also the wider world.
“The atrocities may have begun with Palestine but they will not end with Palestine. As the Middle East grows ever more dangerous, we will all feel the reverberations.”
Malaysia also reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people, pledging to back the New York Declaration and other international initiatives.
However, Mohamad said statements alone were not enough.
“There are only three real answers to this conflict. Firstly, take concrete action against the occupying force. Secondly, lend long-term support to the development of a self-governing Palestinian state and thirdly, reform the UN to ensure that such a travesty of justice never happens again.”