Malaysia launches UN postcard campaign to recognize Palestine

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Cabinet ministers on Wednesday signed special postcards addressed to the UN chief, urging the world body to recognize Palestinian nationhood.

“This special postcard is to express the wishes of the people of Malaysia by urging the UN to accept Palestine as a member state and demanding that the violence and cruelty against the Palestinian people by the Zionist regime be stopped immediately,” Anwar said on X.

He said the postcard will be delivered to Antonio Guterres through Malaysia’s diplomat at the UN.

"We appeal to the UN to accept the State of Palestine as full member," Anwar wrote on his postcard addressed to Guterres.

“I hope this sincere voice of Malaysians gets serious attention from Guterres,” said Anwar, who has personally led mass mobilization in the Southeast Asian nation against Israel's attacks on Gaza.

Earlier, the Unity Government led by Anwar also banned port call or docking by any Israeli-flagged vessel in Malaysia.

Anwar said Malaysians can purchase these postcards from Thursday at all post offices or online to participate in the campaign to deliver the messages to the UN chief.

Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks on Gaza since a cross-border attack on Oct. 7 by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, which Tel Aviv said killed 1,200 people.

At least 24,285 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 61,154 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.