KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim revealed today that he had received multiple ‘threats’ from western countries following Malaysia’s firm stand, support and commitment in defending the rights of the Palestinian people as well as criticism levelled against the Israeli government.

The Prime Minister said as long as he was given the mandate and trust by the people, he, as the head of the government, would not succumb to or be intimidated by such threats.

As a sovereign nation, Malaysia will remain independent and continue to defend the country’s freedom as well as advocate the freedom of the Palestinian people, he added.

“I have received numerous threats... and I told them, you have chosen the wrong person. As long as I have the trust of the people, I will not succumb to such threats.

“We will continue to fight,“ he said during his speech at the Malaysia Stands with Palestine Rally held at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil and attended by about 16,000 supporters, last night.

The Prime Minister also criticised the United States’ biased stance, condemning Russia regarding the Ukraine issue but supporting Israel in the Palestinian invasion.

Anwar pointed out that Israel’s arrogance, fuelled by support from the United States and Europe, led to horrific acts such as intentional killing of infants during attacks on hospitals and schools.

“It is a level of insanity to allow people to be butchered, babies to be killed, hospitals to be bombed, and schools to be destroyed, this are acts of barbarism. We observe that when Israel invade Palestine, there is silence. What kind of justice is this? It’s the law of the jungle,“ he added.

The Prime Minister also conveyed the deep appreciation expressed by Arab nations such as Qatar, Bahrain, and Egypt for Malaysia’s efforts in addressing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Anwar said, however, most Islamic leaders whom he had recently met, acknowledged the difficulty in resolving the Palestinian conflict.

“Their future (Palestinian residents) is very bleak, with a potential that the Israeli army will continue to invade Gaza. The situation has been extremely grim in recent weeks, with a significant number of casualties caused by Israeli forces.

“We have faith in Allah’s help, but what’s crucial is that we must continue to provide encouragement and support for the freedom of the Palestinian people,“ he concluded with the chants of Long Live Palestine and Free Palestine. - Bernama