PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today expressed concern that multilateralism is under threat.
He said he was extremely concerned as powerful countries were unilaterally imposing their will on others.
“We see countries flagrantly violating international agreements and United Nations resolutions,” said the prime minister at the launch of the Foreign Policy Framework of the New Malaysia.
Dr Mahathir cited developments in Palestine and Jammu – Kashmir as examples.
He said similar trends could be observed on the trade and economic fronts.
“There are powerful countries imposing unilateral sanctions, not respecting trade agreements and blatantly disregarding multilateral frameworks.
“These sanctions affect not only the particular country singled out, but other countries also. There is no equity here.”
The rich and the powerful, Dr Mahathir said, would take what they wanted but the
poor and weak would yield what they must.
“Malaysia will submit what it must, but it will be under open protest.”
Malaysia, Dr Mahathir said, believed in maintaining friendly relations with all countries and peaceful resolution of disputes based on international laws and norms.
However, he said, Malaysia reserved the right to express its opinion and if necessary, its protests, against injustices, oppressions and other crimes against humanity committed by any nation.
Malaysia, he stressed, had never shied away from what it believed to be its responsibility and commitment to mankind.
On the new framework, the prime minister said it captured the essence of the foreign policy direction of the current administration.
“More importantly, it has also captured the salient issues that I raised in my speech at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly last year.
“Essentially, the basic elements of our foreign policy remain unchanged.
“Malaysia continues to pursue an independent, principled and pragmatic foreign policy, founded on the values of peace, humanity, justice, and equality,” he said.
What was changing, Dr Mahathir said, was the way Malaysia approached certain issues affecting its interests.
“Hence, the overarching theme of this framework is ‘Change in Continuity’.
“This will be the direction of the implementation of our foreign policy.
“We are living in a world where changes take place at a rapid pace.
“These changes bring both
challenges and opportunities. It is, therefore, only logical that Malaysia does not stick to traditional methods of engagement and instead proactively seeks to explore new approaches,” he said.
This framework will guide Malaysia in the conduct of its foreign policy by taking the following approaches:
* To participate actively in discussions at various international fora where Malaysia is already a member;
* To influence decision-making processes at various international fora where Malaysia is not a member, and
* To shape the discourse on emerging issues such as Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) and the blue economy.
Describing the framework as a living document, Dr Mahathir said while the realm of foreign policy was the international sphere, it could not be detached from domestic realities.
“Simply put, foreign policy begins at home.
“In this regard, foreign policy cannot be effective if it contradicts the expectations and realities of the domestic environment,” he said.
The prime minister also stressed the importance of inter-agency cooperation in implementing policies formulated by the government.