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PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has voiced grave concern over the outbreak of armed clashes between Cambodian and Thai forces along their shared border, cautioning that renewed hostilities threaten to undo years of painstaking diplomatic engagement between the two neighbours.
In a statement, Anwar extended his condolences to the families of those killed or injured in the skirmishes.
He underscored that both Thailand and Cambodia are close partners of Malaysia and integral members of ASEAN, insisting that the two sides must exercise the utmost restraint and maintain open channels of communication to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
“Malaysia stands ready to support steps that can help restore calm and avert further incidents,” Anwar said, stressing that the immediate priority must be to halt the fighting, safeguard civilians and return to a diplomatic path grounded in international law and ASEAN’s spirit of neighbourliness.
He urged both governments to fully utilise existing regional mechanisms to de-escalate tensions, warning that the clashes represent a troubling setback for regional stability.
Anwar noted that Southeast Asia “cannot afford to see long-standing disputes slip into cycles of confrontation,” and reiterated Malaysia’s commitment to working with ASEAN partners to preserve peace, stability and trust in the region. - December 8, 2025