PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is against any attempt to use the self-declared "Republic of Somaliland" or any other territories to forcibly transfer already-displaced Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. "We express opposition to any attempts to use Somaliland or any other territory as a destination for the forceful transfer or displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. On Monday (Dec 29), Israel became the first country to recognise Somaliland as an independent state, sparking condemnation from many countries, including China, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia. There has been criticism over Israel’s surprise recognition of Somaliland as an independent state, as several international reports said it had proposed the resettlement of displaced Palestinians there. At the same time, Somaliland said the decision by Israel to recognise its independence would not have anything to do with the Palestinian issue.

Source: The Star December 30, 2025 11:26 UTC