The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is in a precarious period. Since its inception on Sept 25, 1969, the organisation has been subject to criticism over its ineptness in taking up issues that undermine Muslims' interests.
The recent attack by the Israeli Defence Forces on one of Islam's holiest sites, Al-Aqsa, has only deepened Muslims' mistrust of the OIC's locus standi as the voice of Muslims all over the world.
The status of Saudi Arabia as the custodian of the holy mosques and Petro-dollar politics are why the country's leadership of the OIC is almost unquestioned. Since 2014, the OIC secretary-general post has been held by Saudis. These factors have effectively made other Muslim countries passive fellow travellers in the OIC.
A new bloc led by Turkey and Iran is challenging Riyadh's hegemony in the OIC. Turkey's long-standing animosity with the Saudis can be understood if one remembers that the Turks used to be the protector of the Muslim world.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is charting Turkey's towards a more assertive foreign policy by 2023. Challenging the Saudis' leadership in the OIC is a manifestation of Turkey's ambition to reclaim its position as a leader of the Muslim world.
It is no secret that different denominations are a point of contention between Iran and the Saudis. The OIC backed the Saudis during its diplomatic spat with Iran in 2016. The situation worsens when the OIC issued a harsh anti-Iran resolution on Jan 21, 2016.
So the OIC is divided into two blocs. The Saudis and Gulf Cooperation Council countries like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are on one side and Iran and Turkey are on the other. Friction in the OIC may worsen as Pakistan is expected to join the diplomatic row of the Muslim world.
Due to the constant bickering, the Palestinian issue remains unresolved and Muslims around the globe continue to suffer from socio-political and economic underdevelopment and marginalisation.
Therefore, it is left to Muslim countries in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, to play intermediary roles in uniting almost 1.9 billion Muslims around the world.
The way I see it, Malaysia is in a unique position to bridge the ever-widening trust gap in the OIC. Unlike other member countries, Malaysia has a remarkable standing within the Muslim world.
For example, the task of setting up the OIC secretariat was given to Malaysia. It was our extraordinary diplomats like the late Ahmad Kamil Jaafar and few others who shed sweat and tears to ensure the founding of the OIC. Our founding father Tunku Abdul Rahman was elected as the first secretary-general of the OIC in 1970.
From a geopolitical perspective, Malaysia is far away from the conflict in the Middle East. Therefore, Malaysia can avoid the tiresome political drama of the continent.
In my opinion, the OIC has been wasting too much time facilitating the political impasses between Arab and North African countries. And so, important issues of the ummah remain unresolved. A line must be drawn between Middle East political issues and the interest of the ummah.
Besides the geopolitical reason, our political culture also helps
us play the role of functional intermediary. Peaceful talks and negotiations remain important virtues in our culture. In Professor Shamsul AB's words, we prefer tongue wagging over parang wielding.
Since the formation of Malaysia, we have managed to avoid diplomatic standoffs and military clashes with neighbouring states. Let us not forget that our founding fathers had brilliantly negotiated for an end to the konfrontasi, which led to the establishment of Asean. As Sun Tzu said in The Art of War, "the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting".
Malaysia's dedication to perpetuating peace at all costs is impressive. Therefore, I believe it's high time for Malaysia to play an active and prominent role in the OIC.
The writer is executive director of NADI Centre, a consulting firm focused on strategic policy research and advocacy.