
Malaysia reaffirm commitment to global peace
BERLIN: Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to global peace and stability through a series of significant pledges at the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, held in Federal Foreign Office, here.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin representing Malaysia at the high-level event, announced that the country would bolster its involvement in future peacekeeping missions, strengthening its contributions across military, police and humanitarian operations.
In his address, Mohamed Khaled highlighted Malaysia's long-standing role in international peacekeeping since 1960, participating in more than 38 peacekeeping operations worldwide, and currently has 876 personnel serving under the UN flag.
'We reaffirm our commitment to UN peacekeeping efforts and therefore would like to announce Malaysia's new and continued pledges to the United Nations,' he said during his statement for the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025, here today.
He said among the new commitments, Malaysia would prepare one Infantry Battalion for future peacekeeping missions under the UN mandate.
Mohamed Khaled said the Malaysian Battalion (MALBATT) would be augmented with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) capability to enhance their operations under the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
'The Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre (MPC) will also continue organising international peacekeeping courses. In 2025, it will host a Training of Trainers course for the UN Staff Officers Specialised Training Materials, scheduled in November.
'Malaysia also remains committed to supporting Women, Peace, and Security agenda in line with Uniformed Gender Parity Strategy (UGPS),' he said.
He said Malaysia would also prepare Mobile Training Teams (MTT) for Basic Life Support and Mental Health Awareness, together with Medical Support Planner and provide training for medical personnels in any peacekeeping missions under the UN mandate upon request.
While for UN Police deployment, Mohamed Khaled said Malaysia would prepare a Formed Police Unit (FPU) and continue deploying Individual Police Officers (IPO) for the UN peacekeeping missions.
'I conclude by reaffirming Malaysia's unwavering support to the UN Peacekeeping agenda and commitment to preserving world peace,' he said.
The biannual forum brings together the country's top leaders and officials who support the security mission under the UN, with Mohamed Khaled taking the opportunity to voice his views and renew the country's commitment to supporting the global security effort.
Meanwhile, when met, Mohamed Khaled said the role of the UN is very important as a platform for cooperation among various countries, especially during conflicts in a country.
'We can see when a conflict occurs anywhere, in a borderless world, it will certainly affect all countries, the entire world. So with the existence of the UN, it becomes a platform where all countries can cooperate and coordinate efforts that can contribute to achieving goals, especially in ensuring that peace is maintained,' he said.
Mohamed Khaled, who arrived in the German capital last Monday to attend the two-day forum immediately after a two-day working visit to Italy, departed at 6:45 pm local time.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Malaysia committed to strengthening strategic cooperation with UNDRR
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is committed to strengthening strategic cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) to address increasingly complex disaster challenges, particularly those related to climate change and community resilience, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Ahmad Zahid, who is leading the Malaysian delegation to the eighth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) in Geneva on June 4 and 5, said the matter was discussed during his meeting with UN assistant secretary-general Kamal Kishore, who is also head of UNDRR, at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) today. 'This meeting is highly significant for Malaysia, particularly in our efforts to strengthen strategic collaboration with UNDRR in facing increasingly complex disaster challenges, closely linked to climate change and community resilience,' he said in a statement on his official Facebook page. He said the discussions also touched on the potential development of a National Disaster Risk Reduction Act, smarter early warning systems, more accurate flood risk mapping, as well as strategic investments in education and community awareness. Ahmad Zahid shared Malaysia's experience in dealing with the severe floods at the end of last year, which affected over 150,000 people in nine states, stressing the importance of long-term planning and science- and data-based preventive measures. Meanwhile, Kishore praised Malaysia's swift action through the SMART team in its recent humanitarian and search-and-rescue mission in Myanmar, which he said reflected Malaysia's leadership in the ASEAN context. Ahmad Zahid said Malaysia had expressed its readiness to take on a greater role within the framework of regional cooperation under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) during its ASEAN chairmanship, particularly in enhancing regional disaster preparedness and resilience. 'God willing, through smart partnerships with UNDRR and global partners, we will continue striving to ensure that this country's policies protect lives, safeguard the well-being of the people, and build a more resilient future,' he said.


New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Afghan civil servants face bleak Eid after salaries delayed
ABDUL Saboor usually treats his children to new clothes for the Eid al-Adha holiday but like many Afghan public sector workers, he is scraping by this year awaiting a delayed salary. The Taliban government has faced recurring difficulties paying civil servants since returning to power in 2021, leaving families grappling with financial uncertainty in one of the world's poorest countries. "We bought only cookies and dried fruits for Eid," said Saboor, which he said would be shared with visiting friends. One of the biggest holidays in the Muslim calendar, Eid al-Adha – which begins on Saturday – is celebrated with the sacrifice of an animal shared among family, neighbours and the needy to honour Ibrahim's, or Abraham's, willingness to sacrifice his son, before God offered a sheep instead. The 45-year-old, who works for the Parwan provincial government's rural development department, was relieved to cash in two months' salary last week, but he put the money directly into paying off debts to shops he'd been relying on for credit. "We couldn't go to some shopkeepers, we were embarrassed," he told AFP. Afghanistan has faced major economic challenges since 2021 and is experiencing one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations. "Delays in the payment of wages and salaries point to persistent liquidity constraints and broader challenges in ensuring timely government expenditures," the World Bank said in an April report. Despite signs of recovery, the economic outlook remains "uncertain", the Bank said, with "growing fiscal pressures", a widening trade deficit and entrenched poverty. Public sector workers faced a similar struggle in March, receiving some delayed pay ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. The finance ministry said this week it was in the process of paying all civil servants two months' worth of unpaid salaries, without explaining the delay or saying if future wages would be paid on time. Since the start of June, "almost all of the departments have received their salaries" for two months, spokesman Ahmad Wali Haqmal told AFP on Tuesday. The Taliban government has not made its recent budgets public – but experts say security spending has been prioritised at the expense of other departments. On Wednesday morning, a central Kabul bank was packed with government employees shouting for their turn to collect salaries before the Eid holiday. In Kandahar city, government-paid workers also lined up to collect their money, some voicing only gratitude for getting paid. Hayatullah, a 21-year-old teacher in the Taliban heartland province, said he only received one-month's salary. "We will try to make ends meet," he said, refusing to give his full name for fear of reprisal. "But we can't afford the Eid expenses." Last year, the government slashed salaries of women staff who were forced to stay home since the Taliban seized power and prevented them from working in mixed offices. Jobs have been cut from other departments in recent months, though government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in April said reducing staff was a "normal" process aimed at improving efficiency. Mohammad, who works for a government office in Ghor and did not want to give his real name for fear of reprisal, said he had already spent his salary paying back loans to shopkeepers and had nothing left for Eid celebrations. "We received the salaries for two months very late and we have faced a lot of problems during this period," he said. "Eid is coming and when there is no money, it is really worrying – there are the children's expectations, family's expectations and Eid day expenses," said the 40-year-old who is the only breadwinner for 10 people. "My family has to wait."


The Star
9 hours ago
- The Star
Fund crunch hits Rohingyas in Bangladesh hard
COX'S BAZAR: A humanitarian crisis in Cox's Bazar Rohingya camps is brewing in the face of funding shortage for the refugees and more arrivals from the conflict-ridden Rakhine state of Myanmar. This year, US$934 million is needed for the 1.5 million people - 1.2 million Rohingya and 300,000 host community members - but only 19 per cent of the funding requirement has materialised. The gap has widened largely thanks to the funding cut by the Trump administration that in February eliminated more than 90 per cent of the USAID-funded foreign aid contracts and US$60 billion in overall US assistance worldwide. The overnight suspension of US funding came as a huge shock to the humanitarian community, The Daily Star has learnt from UN officials. The other donors who committed funding will release it in August or November, but their amounts have also declined. Last year, the total funding received was 68 per cent of the required amount, but this year it may not even reach 50 per cent, said a UN official on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak with the media. Dozens of projects including health, family planning, nutrition and education, supported by the USAID have been affected since the USAID cuts. For example, data collated by the Cox's Bazar District Family Planning Office says service recipients of oral pills declined to about 10,000 in April from over 20,000 in February, while condom recipients came down to 3,800 from over 6,500. The number of general patients seeking medical treatment in the Rohingya camps declined to 205,000 in April from 372,000 in February. "We are facing serious problems in receiving medical treatment - we no longer receive sufficient medicine," said Badrul Alam, head of Camp 26 in Ukhiya Rohingya camp. In cases of serious illness, the Rohingya have to seek treatment from doctors at their own expense, which is not possible for all refugees, he told The Daily Star on Wednesday (June 4). The latest sector to be hit by the fund cut is education, leaving at risk the future of 230,000 Rohingya children in Cox's Bazar, where about 1.2 million Rohingya have been living since 2017 after fleeing a brutal military crackdown in Rakhine State. On June 2 and 3, hundreds of host community teachers terminated from their jobs in the learning centres of Rohingya camps blocked the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf road, signalling deepening tension between the host community and Rohingya. Rohingya children will face serious safety risks with the closure of learning centres, which worked as protection spaces, said Rohingya rights activist T K Aung Myo. "Our Rohingya children are among the most vulnerable in the world," said Master Mohammad Zubair, chairman of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights. For them, education is a beacon of hope during a humanitarian crisis. Through education, they learn discipline and structure. "It is frustrating that the beacon is now going off," he added. The disruptions are taking place at a time when the vulnerable refugee camps were hit hard by the monsoon rains last weekend, damaging 1,400 homes. Communal spaces are being used to temporarily host affected families, said interim UNHCR Representative Juliette Murekeyisoni. However, even before the monsoon, there was not enough space to provide shelter to all, especially as thousands of newly arrived Rohingya have sought asylum here in recent months, she said. Over the last few months, according to a WFP update, some 150,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh and 50,000 more may flee by the year-end, making it challenging for the authorities to provide basic services. With drastic cuts in services in the camps, it is very likely that the Rohingya will be desperate to flee the camps, either to engage in local jobs or take risky journeys to foreign lands, said Rohingya Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) Mizanur Rahman. The criminal activities among the Rohingya - including intra-feud, domestic violence and drug peddling - may rise, he said. A UN official based in Cox's Bazar said UNICEF, IOM and UNHCR have reduced to around 500 staff - both local and foreign nationals - following funding cut by the US government, which provides more than 50 per cent of the total Rohingya funding. "We have a food guarantee until October but after that what happens is up in the air. The Rohingya as well as the affected host community remain at serious risk," the official said. Handicapped International, a specialised non-governmental organisation, used to serve the more than 10,000 disabled Rohingya, but their operations are on halt now. "Gender-based violence in the camps is quite high. Services like handling these complaints and providing psychological support are so important for the people who fled genocide, but these services have become thin. We are very worried about what's going to happen in the days to come," said a UN official on the condition of anonymity. Funding cuts have led to some basic services like health and education, which is a violation of human rights, said Mohammad Zubair, chairman of the Arakan Rohingya Society for Peace and Human Rights. The decline of aid is a matter of concern, but more concerning is how efficiently the aid is being used in the management of the Rohingya camps, said Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, executive director of the COAST Foundation. "We have always been demanding that local NGOs be deployed to manage the Rohingya camps, while the UN remains at the policy level. But, we have seen that international aid agencies engaged in the management. This is not cost-effective," he said. The UN and international aid agencies need to have greater collaboration with the local authorities on effective management of the Rohingya camps, said RRRC's Mizanur Rahman. "Now it is more important than ever to restore the basic services for the Rohingya." - The Daily Star/ANN