SAN FRANCISCO: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today seized an opportunity to raise the plight of Palestinians caught up in the Israeli onslaught on Gaza at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Economic Leaders informal meet and working lunch which was also attended by United States President Joe Biden.
The prime minister said the sufferings inflicted on the Palestinians and people in Gaza clearly demonstrated an "abandonment of moral responsibilities."
He said the massive destruction and loss of innocent lives would only end up causing regional instability and possibly even further conflicts.
Anwar has been vocal in highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza during various meetings and talks here.
He had also spoken up about it at the recent Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) extraordinary summit in Riyadh where he called on OIC member countries to consistently and assertively press for an immediate cease fire to the daily bombings in Gaza by the Israelis.
At the Apec leaders meet today, Anwar also commended President Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping over their meeting, which was held amidst continued tensions and efforts by the two superpowers to increase high level communication.
Biden and Xi met here on Wednesday in their first face to face encounter in over a year.
Anwar said such US - China engagement was a key factor for the future of Apec.
On another note, Anwar also touched on Malaysia's pursuit of sustainability and fight against climate change.
He said Malaysia produces just 0.658 per cent of global greenhouse emissions but acknowledged that climate change raises the risk of displacing up to a quarter of its population if little or nothing is done.
The prime minister said Malaysia is transforming its economy and investing in a cleaner, greener future through the National Energy Transition Roadmap.
He also pointed out that national oil company Petronas was committed to a clear pathway towards net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
On a related note, he said developing economies and emerging economies are not getting the right support that is required for the energy transition from developed nations.
He said developed nations needed to do more to bear responsibility in handling climate change and assist developing countries.