KUALA LUMPUR: No "special treatment" was accorded to Israeli delegates who were in Malaysia to attend the 9th World Urban Forum (WUF9) last month.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said furthermore the Israelis' participation in the forum was upon an invitation by the United Nations (UN) and were the only delegates not greeted or met by Malaysian officials.
Reezal said the government had even requested to UN to exclude Israeli delegates from attending WUF9, but Malaysia had to fulfil its commitment under Article 3 of the Host Country Agreement signed with UN-Habitat in conjunction with hosting the forum.
Malaysia and Israel do not share diplomatic ties.
"No security detail was provided by the police for the Israelis. We leave the matter to the UN, and that the Israelis are only allowed to be here due to an invite by the former," he told the Parliament today.
He was responding to a question by Opposition leader Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh) on whether Malaysia had made efforts to deny Israeli delegates entry into the country.
To a supplementary by Dr Wan Azizah, Reezal said Malaysia remained firm against Israel's illegal occupation in Palestine, as seen in the Resolution 2334 through the UN Security Council.
"It is inaccurate to measure the country's commitment to supporting the Palestinians' struggle if you use the presence of Israeli delegates in Malaysia as a barometer.
"For example, Israel has an embassy in Ankara, Turkey. But that does not mean Erdogan (Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan) is not against Israel's illegal occupation in Palestine.
"In the case of Malaysia, we need to look at the benefits of hosting WUF9 and its impact on the country, instead of looking into the Israelis' presence and accuse Malaysia of mooting diplomatic ties with Israel."
*Reports by: SYED UMAR ARIFF; ROHANIZA IDRIS; IDRIS MUSA; NUR LELA ZULKIPLI; AHMAD SUHAEL ADNAN dan SITI NUR MAS ERAH AMRAN