LIMA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has condemned those who accused him of acknowledging Israel's existence and its right to defend itself.
Anwar did not mince his words when he described their actions as reckless and misleading.
"What sort of politics is this? Deceiving the public, misleading them and making false accusations in the name of Islam?
"These so-called 'penunggang agama' (those exploiting religion) have no understanding of what they are saying," he said during a press conference in Lima, where he was attending the Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting.
"If someone asks, 'Does Israel exist?' Yes, it exists. However, Malaysia does not recognise it, meaning we do not send diplomatic officials and there are no diplomatic relations with Israel."
"That's what it means," he added.
Anwar also firmly denied allegations from certain parties that he recognises Israel, calling these accusations slanderous and made under the guise of religion.
Anwar stressed that Malaysia has never recognised Israel as "de jure" (legally), but does acknowledge its existence as a "de facto" reality.
He said that during his recent trip to Riyadh, he proposed that Israel be expelled from the United Nations.
This proposal, Anwar said reflects Malaysia's strong opposition to Israel's oppression of the Palestinian people.
He also criticised those who have taken his statements out of context.
"Do you accept the existence of the state of Israel? Yes. Do you believe that the state has the right to defend itself? Yes.
"But what we oppose is the violence, injustice and Israel's occupation of Palestinian land," he said.
Anwar also questioned the opposition's actions, alleging that they had allowed Israeli ships to dock at Port Klang and Israeli planes to use Malaysian airspace while they were in power.
"When we were in power, did we allow Israel to trade? No! Did we allow Israeli planes to use our airspace? No," he said.
However, Anwar expressed his willingness to move forward and focus on current issues.
"I consider that matter closed. Let's move forward and leave the past behind. Unfortunately, they don't, they keep lying and inciting," he said.
Anwar said during the Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting, Malaysia was the only country to raise the issue of oppression against Palestine, even though the forum focused on economic and trade matters.
"How can we talk about a free economy and trade if one party is being denied," Anwar said, adding that it underscored Malaysia's commitment to universal justice.
Anwar expressed hope that his explanation would clear up any confusion among the public and urged all parties to avoid the politics of slander, which only serves to divide society.
The issue arose following Anwar's recent interview with CNN, which went viral after the edited interview clip, now circulating on social media, created a false impression that the government acknowledged Israel's existence and its right to self-defence.