Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed Malaysia's readiness to collaborate with Indonesia in deploying peacekeeping forces to Palestine, pending a mandate from the United Nations.

In a Facebook post, Anwar highlighted that the topic was a central point in his recent telephone conversation with Indonesia's president-elect and defense minister, Prabowo Subianto. He emphasized that such cooperation could potentially extend beyond Palestine to encompass the broader region.

"In the three-minute phone conversation, we discussed current issues, including Prabowo's international role and efforts to promote regional and global vision, collaboration, and peace," Anwar stated.

Anwar also welcomed the idea of cooperation in an international peacekeeping mission between Malaysia and Indonesia, noting the possibility of expanding this collaboration within the ASEAN framework.

Earlier in June, Prabowo Subianto had expressed Indonesia's willingness to deploy significant peacekeeping forces to enforce a ceasefire in Gaza, and offered assistance to evacuate and treat wounded Palestinians in Indonesian hospitals.

Anwar Ibrahim underscored that any decision to send troops abroad requires careful consideration and consultation with allies and neighbors. He reiterated Malaysia's commitment to support Palestinians amidst the ongoing conflict with Israel, which has claimed at least 37,877 lives since October 7, 2023, according to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. (ILKHA)