KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will reach out to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the coming days to discuss facilitating the delivery of Malaysia’s humanitarian aid to Gaza through the Rafah border crossing.
Anwar said the plan was part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safe passage of Malaysian volunteers under the Sumud Nusantara mission, which is coordinating with regional partners to deliver relief to Palestinians affected by Israel’s continuing military assault.
“We express our appreciation to President el-Sisi, Qatar, Egypt and all countries that supported the peace initiative. Now that there is calm, we hope access will be granted for our contingent,” Anwar said, reported Bernama.
“I hope to communicate with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the next few days to suggest to him that, you know, allow our contingent to go via Egypt to Rafah and continue to assist,” he added.
The prime minister was speaking during the ‘In Conversation with Prime Minister’ session at the International Young Future Leaders Summit (iFUTURE) 2025, held at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre today.
Also present were Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and his deputy, Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.
Anwar was responding to a question from a participant about Malaysia’s humanitarian efforts in Gaza and how young Malaysians could contribute to the cause.
He clarified that the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) movement — which aimed to deliver aid to Gaza by sea — was not his personal initiative, but the work of international and Malaysian activists acting out of compassion and solidarity.
“The flotilla is not my initiative; I can’t claim credit,” Anwar said. “Some young Malaysians wanted to take the lead, and I said, ‘Okay.’ We supported and facilitated them, and I happened to be the first national leader to officially endorse the mission.”
Anwar said the government’s support for the Sumud Nusantara contingent reflects Malaysia’s commitment to upholding universal values of justice, freedom and human dignity.
On October 8, all 23 Malaysians who joined the GSF safely returned home, while another nine participants from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and Thousand Medleens to Gaza (FFC x TMTG) missions arrived yesterday.
Israeli forces intercepted both humanitarian efforts, and their participants were detained before being released. — October 13, 2025