‘Did my best’ to appeal to Trump that Gaza peace initiative must be fair: Malaysian Premier Anwar

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday said he urged US President Donald Trump to ensure that the peace deal for the Palestinian coastal enclave must be “fair”, Anadolu reports.

“I did my best to appeal” to Trump that the Gaza “peace initiative must be comprehensive, must be durable, must be fair, ultimately,” Anwar told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur as he announced the conclusion of the 47th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Trump attended the ASEAN summit on its first day in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, where he also held bilateral meetings, including with Anwar.

Addressing the joint US-ASEAN summit over the weekend, Anwar had said: “We welcome your (US) comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict.”

“It has given the world a glimmer of hope that even in the intractable conflicts, diplomacy and determination can prevail,” Anwar said, sitting alongside 10 other leaders of the 11-member bloc.

READ: Malaysia ready to deploy peacekeepers in Gaza: Premier Anwar tells UN chief

Anwar said he made “full use of the opportunity” of his ride in the Beast, the US president’s car—after receiving Trump on Sunday—to engage with the two-time president.

Trump “is a good listener in private engagements,” Anwar said. “He gave some views. I politely disagreed with some issues.”

He added that Trump inquired about the ASEAN summit invitations extended to the South African and Brazilian presidents, as well as discussed Anwar’s past meetings with Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Under a 20-point US plan, the phased Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, brokered through regional and international mediation, took effect Oct. 10.

Phase one includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and a partial Israeli withdrawal. It also envisages rebuilding Gaza and establishing a new governing mechanism without Hamas.

Malaysia has pledged to deploy peacekeepers in Gaza.

Since October 2023, the Israeli genocidal war has killed more than 68,500 victims and injured more than 170,300 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

READ: UNICEF says Gaza ceasefire ‘vital chance’ for 1 million children in need