Foreign Policy To Have Three Elements Clearly Defined - Foreign Minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia is to have in its foreign policy three elements which have not been clearly defined by the previous government, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Thursday. These were the ‘Maqasid as-Syariah’ (Objectives of Islamic Law) approach, which would be applied in the context of Muslims; the human rights principle approach in terms of the universal context; and Malaysia more as a ‘middle power’ approach in the context of position, he said. Replying to a question in the lower house of Parliament or Dewan Rakyat, Saifuddin said the ministry was strengthening the new framework of foreign policy which was clearer and organised, comprehensive and no longer piecemeal. The ministry would maintain the existing foreign policy, which was regarded as appropriate, but a new focus and direction would be incorporated as an improvement, he said. Nurul Izzah Anwar (PH-Permatang Pauh) had asked about Malaysia’s role and actions in terms of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and United Nations with regard to the growing conflict in Palestine and the Middle East and pertaining to the Rohingya and the long-term measures to deal with the influx of refugees to this country. On the Palestine issue, Saifuddin proposed that MPs set up a Caucus of MPs to discuss the matter with Wisma Putra before raising the matter in Parliament. “In this way, when the motion is tabled, it will really be a concrete resolution … meaning, there will be follow-up and it can be implemented by Wisma Putra later,” he explained. Saifuddin said the government was also planning to set up a parliamentary select committee on international relations and that it would become an important platform to refine the resolution. “Once the committee has been set up, the first agenda can be for us to bring the motion as soon as possible to the Dewan Rakyat,” he said when replying to a supplementary question, from Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (BN-Baling), who had wanted to know when the government proposed to bring to Parliament emergency motions on the Palestine and Rohingya issues. -- BERNAMA