SEPANG: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim played a role in helping secure the release of 12 Thai nationals who were taken prisoner in Hamas' Oct 7 raid into Israel.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said Malaysia has always played an active role in not just ensuring the safety of its citizens but also assisting its neighbouring countries.
"We are always active at the international level where we always ensure the safety of our citizens, like in the case of Nurul Ain Haron, a Malaysian who was evacuated out of Palestine with her husband. This was done with utmost care and secrecy in the midst of war.
"The same goes with our friends in the Asean context, where we had requested and negotiated so that the innocent lives could be released.
"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had also played a role in negotiating the release of the kidnapped Thai nationals," he said.
Zambry was speaking to reporters at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) prior to his departure to the United Nations in New York, today.
He said Malaysia will join the United Nations (UN) General Assembly's Informal Plenary Meeting on the Humanitarian Situation in the Middle East to address the Palestine-Israel issue.
"We will be discussing the current situation (of the conflict in Palestine) and gather all information to ensure an effort to call for an immediate ceasefire process to be conducted as we cannot continue to see the killings of innocent civilians."
He said that currently, the truce or 'humanitarian pause' is a good start to enable a direct humanitarian response or a longer ceasefire in Gaza.
"Ultimately, (this ceasefire) will allow us to solve the conflict where the process to rebuild and rehabilitate Palestine and its surrounding area can begin."