Malaysia, Asean to push for reforms over UN veto powers held by US, UK, France, China, and Russia as Gaza delays spark outrage

Malay Mail

21-07-2025

KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — Malaysia, together with ASEAN member states, is proposing reforms to the veto power held by the five permanent members (P5) of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
According to him, although resolutions relating to the Gaza issue were passed with majority support in the UN General Assembly, their implementation was often delayed due to the use of veto power by the permanent members of the UN Security Council, consisting of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
'Unfortunately, this veto power was used even though the resolution was unanimously approved at the UN General Assembly.
'That is why we are proposing that this veto power be overhauled and changed. This is what we are doing,' he said during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.
Mohamad said this in response to a supplementary question by Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahman (PN-Kuala Krai) on Wisma Putra's further actions following the resolution of the ASEAN-GCC Summit which touched on the atrocities of the Zionist regime.
Explaining further, he said the recent ASEAN-GCC Summit marked the success of Malaysian diplomacy in which a joint statement was issued on the Gaza issue for the first time.
'Previously, it was difficult to get a joint statement among ASEAN countries. But now we have succeeded in doing so, including holding a joint conference with Japan and Korea to discuss the issue of the people of Gaza,' he said.
He said Malaysia is now actively strengthening cooperation with like-minded countries to voice its stance on the Gaza issue consistently at the international level. — Bernama