KARACHI: Tun Dr Ismail, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, said here yesterday [Oct 4] that his country would support the Pakistan sponsored resolution calling for the representation of China in the United Nations.

The Deputy Malaysian Premier... was talking to newsmen during a stopover at the Karachi airport.... He later left for London en route to New York where he will lead the Malaysian delegation at the 25th General Assembly commemorative meeting.

...Dr Ismail said Malaysia would vote against the American supported resolution calling for a two-thirds majority vote on the issue of restoration of the People’s Republic of China’s rights in the UN. However, he said Malaysia would not vote in favour of an Albanian sponsored resolution on the same issue, because ... it was “too extreme”.

Dr Ismail said Malaysia was working for the neutralisation of the entire South-East Asian region and its non-involvement in Big-Power conflicts. To be effective, the proposed neutralisation of South-East Asia would have to be guaranteed by all the major Powers, he added. He called on the Big Powers to follow a strict policy of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of the smaller nations.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2020