September 25, 2025 | 12:13 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has dismissed allegations by former U.S. Treasury Department analyst Jonathan Schanzer that Malaysia serves as a hub for Hamas activities.
Inspector General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail emphasized that while the Palestinian struggle is an issue close to the hearts of Malaysians, the country continues to maintain strong relations with the United States and other nations.
“There are foreign nationals here, especially from Palestine, Syria and others, who are studying in our institutions of higher learning, and perhaps our people’s concern (for their plight) has been misinterpreted by certain quarters,” Khalid said, as quoted by Bernama in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, September 25, 2025.
Schanzer, who is of Jewish descent, currently serves as Deputy Executive Director of the Jewish Policy Center and is the author of Hamas vs. Fatah: The Struggle for Palestine. He also heads the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).
Earlier, through his social media account, Schanzer accused Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of showing no interest in peace between Palestine and Israel. His post was in response to Anwar’s recent statement reaffirming Malaysia’s strong support for the Palestinian cause.
The comment sparked a wave of criticism from Malaysian netizens, with his post attracting nearly one million views, most of them defending the government’s pro-Palestinian stance.
Schanzer later remarked, as reported by The Vibes, “Nearly a million views. Almost entirely trolls from Malaysia. The replies are rather funny and in some cases extreme.”
Khalid underlined that PDRM actively collaborates and shares intelligence with international counterparts to safeguard Malaysia’s security.
He also assured that border security remains at an optimal level through coordination with agencies such as the Immigration Department, Customs Department, and Border Security and Protection Agency.
“We are in constant communication, sharing information and taking joint action to deal with issues related to border security,” he said.
Malaysia has long been an outspoken critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza. At the recent Emergency Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim even urged countries to sever diplomatic and trade ties with Israel.
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