Malaysia Rallies Support To Curb UN Veto Abuse: Lukanisman

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 (NNN) -- Malaysia is engaging like-minded countries to challenge the United Nations Security Council’s veto power and prevent its abuse, said Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Lukanisman Awang Sauni.

He said the veto had paralysed action on Gaza and hampered efforts to achieve Palestinian statehood.

“The existing veto has prevented countries such as Malaysia, which support the establishment of a Palestinian state, from achieving that goal.

“We are holding frequent engagements with partners who agree with the view put forward by the Foreign Minister on challenging the veto power and urging countries to ensure that it is not abused,” he told Bernama at the 2026 United Nations (UN) Day commemoration here on Monday.

Malaysia would continue to raise the issue through multilateral platforms, building on the position outlined by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in September, he said.

“We will use all platforms and continue to include this message in our speeches and other communications through the multilateral forums in which we participate,” he said.

Earlier, in his opening address, Lukanisman described Gaza as a stark example of the challenges facing the UN, with the Security Council paralysed by the veto while civilians continued to suffer.

He said Malaysia’s position was clear: the veto must be challenged, justice for Palestinians could not wait, and humanitarian protection was not optional.

He also stressed that Malaysia’s partnership with the UN did not prevent it from pursuing its own approaches to resolving challenges as a sovereign and independent nation.

Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator in Malaysia Nikolas Myint called for collective efforts to strengthen the organisation amid challenges to multilateralism.

“The UN was not intended as a club of the rich or of the powerful, but as a reflection of the world, of our aspirations, and of our ability to achieve them,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to contribute ideas, expertise and initiatives to help the UN address global challenges.

“Like Malaysia, the UN is not perfect. My invitation to all of you, indeed, my request from each of you, is to help us in making the United Nations better, making it stronger, and using it to build a better world,” he said.

Myint also highlighted Malaysia’s contributions to international peace and security, noting that nearly 40,000 Malaysian personnel had participated in 38 UN peacekeeping operations over the past 60 years.

He said 539 Malaysian military and police personnel were currently serving in five UN peacekeeping missions.

The commemoration, themed “Malaysia at the UN, the UN in Malaysia”, launched a year-long programme to mark the 70th anniversary of the partnership in 2027. Malaysia joined the UN on Sept 17, 1957.

The event also featured the UN in Malaysia Awards 2026, with TNG Digital receiving the Impact Award for advancing financial inclusion among refugees, asylum-seekers and underserved communities.

Malaysian non-governmental organisation Women Of Will (WOW) received the Inclusion Award for empowering disadvantaged women through entrepreneurship training, financial literacy education and business coaching.

Sabah-based Indigenous-led social enterprise TONIBUNG received the Innovation Award for expanding access to sustainable energy in rural and remote communities.

--NNN