Statement by H.E. Syed Hamid Albar,
Minister of foreign affairs of Malaysia
At
the thirty third session of the Islamic conference of foreign ministers
19-21 June 2006
Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan
Alhamdullilah,
all
praise be to Allah Almighty, by whose grace and blessings we are able to
meet here today in
Baku. Let me begin by conveying the greetings and best wishes for a
successful meeting from the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia.
2. I would like on behalf of my delegation and myself to extend my
gratitude to the Government and the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan
for hosting us in your lovely capital, Baku. With its rich history and
vibrant and dynamic development, Baku has certainly endeared itself to
all of us in the short space of time we are here. The excellent
arrangements as well as the warm hospitality accorded us testify to the
effort and dedication of the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan
towards ensuring the success of this meeting.
Mr.
Chairman,
3. Today, as we meet, the Islamic world continues to be confronted
by many challenges, both internal and external. These stem from own
weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the political, economic and social
spheres. Historically we had excelled in various field including
politics, philosophy, military, science and arts as well as dominated
the world trade.
4. I like to state some of the obvious. The population of the
Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) countries is 1.25 billion
people, or one fifth of the world’s population. It covers about a fifth
of land area, possesses abundant mineral resources, provides 70% of the
world’s energy and supplies approximately 40% of global exports of raw
materials. However, despite such abundance, we are still unable to
convert our resources into meaningful achievement both at the national
and international levels. We lack the capacity and the human resource to
rid ourselves of crushing poverty and the vicious cycle of debt
servicing. We have long since stopped taking pride in our intellectual
abilities and capacity.
5. As you
would recollect, we have together formulated the 10 Year Plan of Action,
which provides the template for our common action. Our efforts toward
translating the plan into action must now be more focused towards the
welfare and development of the Ummah. Expanding trade and economic ties
between and among ourselves, collaboration in projects would definitely
bring mutual benefits.
6. In the
Summits held in Putrajaya and Mecca, we concluded that the present
structure of the Organisation would not be able to meet the demands of
the global world. We had agreed to re-structure our Organisation,
including through seeking inputs from eminent Muslim leaders. We must
now translate our statements of intent into concrete actions that would
bring real benefits to our people. I have no doubts in my mind that the
10 Year Plan of Action, if fully implemented, will rejuvenate and
reposition the OIC as relevant to the needs of the Ummah and to the
global community for purposes of achieving peace, stability and
prosperity.
7. In the
process of mainstreaming the OIC, we need to seriously address the
problem of image. This could be done through constructive dialogue and
engagement with the outside world, in particular the West. We must show
that good governance, the rule of law, human rights, justice, the
protection of women and children forms an integral part of the tenets of
Islam.
Mr. Chairman,
10. Let me
repeat what you all already know as a reminder to all of us. Any Muslim
leader assuming power in their country should act consistent with the
Quranic verse in Surah an Nisaa verse 58: which means "Allah doth
command you to render back your trusts to those to whom they are due;
and when ye judge between man and man, that ye judge with justice".
11. In
Malaysia, we believe that the compulsion to act based on religious
imperatives can be directed towards good, towards progress, towards
development. This approach Manhaj Hadhari or Islam Hadhari could
contribute significantly towards a progressive Islamic Civilization. It
is compatible with modernity and yet firmly rooted in the noble values
and injunctions of Islam. What is most important is to emphasize
substance over form, promote tolerance and understanding, moderation and
peace, and certainly enlightenment. Islam if properly practiced and
adhered to is definitely consistent with democracy, as it is about
living peacefully and respecting each other.
12. The onus
is on the Ummah to remove Islamophobia before we can even arrive at a
common position with the rest of the global community. Actions that
contribute, directly or indirectly, to the perpetuation of injustice,
oppression or aggression against Muslim countries and the Muslim people,
anywhere and everywhere must be stopped with strategy and wisdom. The
recent incident of the caricaturing of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. is
indicative of the need for enhanced civilizational dialogue so as to
understand the sensitivities and differences in our rich and diverse
world. It is incumbent on Muslims to nurture a progressive community
firmly rooted in true teachings of Islam.
13. While we
must promote democracy, good governance and human rights at home, we
must unequivocally reject those who practice double standards and
selectivity. Palestinians should not be penalized for aspiring to have
the establishment of their own state, the very rights subscribed by the
international community for all peoples. It is with a sense of utter
dismay that we bear witness to the continuing suffering of the
Palestinian people due to sanctions unilaterally imposed by Israel the
occupying power. While we welcome the Quartet’s decision to extend aid
to Palestine, we urge them not to interfere in the democratic process of
the country. The will of the people must be respected.
14. In doing
our part to assist in the welfare and well-being of the Palestinian
people, Malaysia extended USD16 million to help defray the budgetary
expenses of 16 Palestinian Governorates. As we continue to do our part,
we appeal to the various factions in Palestine to unite and avoid
infighting.
Mr. Chairman,
15. In this
meeting we reaffirm Malaysians’ support to the appointments of H.E.
Jalal Talabani as President and H.E. Nouri Kamel Al Maliki as the Prime
Minister of Iraq, as well as the formation of Iraq’s national unity
government. A stable political environment, free from external coercion
and premised on inclusiveness, is a prerequisite towards restoring
peace, stability and prosperity to Iraq. Malaysia is prepared to
contribute in any way within our means to enhance peace, stability and
development in Iraq.
16. Another
matter deserving OIC’s attention is the right of all states to pursue
nuclear technology, specifically for peaceful purposes. Malaysia
reiterates our principled position on the inalienable right of all
states to pursue the development of nuclear technology for peaceful
purposes and in this regards hopes that Iran would continue its
cooperation with the IAEA. As such, we believe that the IAEA should be
allowed the ample and necessary time to complete its work impartiality
and without pre-conditions. We welcome the recent offer by the P5 and
Germany and hope the nuclear issue will be resolved through diplomacy
and dialogue.
17. Since the establishment of the OIC Committee of Thirteen on
Terrorism we have not been able to convene our meeting.
It is my intention to convene the First Meeting of the
Committee
at the sidelines of the 61st United Nations General Assembly
this coming September, to take advantage of all our anticipated presence
in New York. This will provide us the opportunity to reassert OIC’s
position on terrorism, particularly that it must not be associated with
any race, culture or religion.
Mr Chairman,
18. Consistent with the emphasis on economic development and
cooperation in humanitarian matters as reflected in the OIC 10 Year Plan
of Action, Malaysia has among others, implemented the Capacity Building
Programme for OIC Countries. It was
launched by the
Honourable
Prime Minister of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur with the objective of
strengthening capacity building to enhance human resource development,
institutional, organizational and management skills, including the
development of infrastructures. The implementation of the projects in
the Pilot Phase has been progressing well while measures to implement
Phase Two of the Programme are being undertaken. In this regard, we
would like to express our appreciation to the IDB for their role in
ensuring that the projects get off the ground. I hope more OIC member
countries would participate in the current and future projects for the
success and sustainability of the Programme.
Mr
Chairman,
19. We have
seen disasters taking place one after another affecting the lives of
millions of people in various parts of the world. Among which include
the Tsunami, the acute drought and famine in Niger, earthquake in
Pakistan and Indonesia and the massive landslide in the Philippines
island of Leyte. Our leaders had at the Mekkah Summit proposed for
Muslim countries to establish some form of Rapid Response Relief Team
with the objective of providing immediate assistance to countries
affected by natural disasters and calamities. Malaysia already has this
mechanism in place by way of Malaysian Medical Relief Society (MERCY)
and Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) which
could be used as a basis to establish the proposed Islamic Rapid
Response Relief Team. We are also offering to assist and share our
experience with other interested OIC countries. Malaysia will host a
Meeting to discuss the Concept, Terms of Reference and modalities for
the establishment of the Islamic Rapid Response Relief Team. We would
most welcome the participation and involvement of interested OIC
countries.
20. The role of science and technology in the development of the
Ummah can no longer be understated. Our vision 1441 provides the
guiding principles in steering OIC Countries’ science and technology
efforts for the next two decades. The mandate to implement Vision 1441
focuses on poverty reduction or eradication, wealth creation,
intellectual development and socio-economic development. We hope that
all Member States could extend their support to and involvement in this
Vision to ensure that
the Ummah will be
committed to become a community based on the values of knowledge and is
competent in utilizing and advancing science and technology to enhance
the socio-economic well being of the Ummah.
Mr. Chairman,
21. Given our
deep and abiding commitment to the betterment of the Ummah, Malaysia,
with your full support has and would continue to undertake various
initiatives, including the following:
i. Hosting
the first OIC Anti-Corruption and Enhancing Integrity Forum from 26 to
30 August 2006 in Malaysia;
ii. Hosting
the OIC Ministers of Health Meeting in the second quarter of 2007;
iii.
Promoting the establishment of the Standard MS1500:2004 as an
international benchmark for the certification of halal products; and
iv.
Establishing the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF)
in March 2006.
I invite all of
you present here today to participate in these initiatives.
22.
With
our collective strength, the Ummah has great potential to regain our
past splendour. However, we must recognise and acknowledge our
shortcomings and face the challenges ahead. Our Leaders have proclaimed
their political will; it is now left to us to implement the proposals
contained in the 10 Year Plan of Action as the necessary first step on
our journey to regain the vigour and honour of the Ummah.
23. On that note, I bid you Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi
Wabarakatuh and Thank You.
19
JUNE 2006
