PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia will not bow to any pressure by the United States to cut aid to nations that object to making Jerusalem Israel's capital.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said this included threats that might come from the United States which was the Zionist regime's closest ally.
The US has threatened to withdraw aid to those who disagreed with its move to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Zahid said Malaysia was not the biggest recipient of economic aid from the US.
"We receive mostly technical aid, for example, in security and defence," he told reporters today.
The deputy prime minister arrived at the Putra Mosque for the Solidarity Rally to Save Jerusalem at 12.20pm.
US president Donald Trump had threatened to cut billions of dollars of US aid to countries which vote in favour of a United Nations' resolution rejecting the US' recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
"It is not right for US to use such threats because the world has spoken and it is their right to have their own opinion on the matter," Zahid said.
The UN General Assembly on Thursday passed a measure rejecting the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, which could undermine prospects for peace.
Despite US threats to cut aid to countries that backed the resolution and even funding for the United Nations itself, it was reported 128 countries voted in favour of the measure.
Only nine countries — including the United States and Israel — voted against it.
Another 35 abstained, and 21 were absent.
Zahid also said Malaysia was really disappointed that the UN resolution was vetoed during the UN Security Council meeting.
"This triggered the extraordinary OIC summit at Istanbul recently, which saw a clear stand among OIC members to reject US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The UN resolution, calling on Trump's administration to rescind its decision, reflects the world community's stand on the Jerusalem issue.
"Any move to reject the resolution can be seen as ignoring the world community's views," he said.
On the prime minister's proposal to open an embassy in Jerusalem, Zahid said the matter would be further deliberated in the Cabinet meeting.
"We will discuss it in the first week of January and the Foreign Ministry will submit a memorandum paper on this," he said.