Shock waves over Arab nations’ action against Qatar
6 countries cut ties with gulf nation for allegedly supporting militant groups
MALAYSIA is watching closely developments in the Gulf, says Najib. Observers believe the crisis is likely to have wide-ranging consequences, not just for Qatar.
MALAYSIA will monitor the situation in the Persian Gulf after six countries proceeded to cut ties with Qatar, which has been accused of destabilising the region and backing militant groups, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday.
“We are close to the Gulf countries and we do not know what the issues are, but at the moment, we will monitor the developments,” the prime minister said after visiting the TRX Gallery here.
Najib was asked whether the diplomatic row, which is seen as a significant split between powerful Gulf nations, would have an effect on Malaysia’s ties with the region.
Several Arab nations have accused Qatar of funding terror groups, including the Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda, a claim Qatar has denied.
The diplomatic withdrawal was put into motion by Bahrain and Saudi Arabia earlier yesterday.
The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Yemen and Libya soon followed suit.
In 2011, Malaysia and Qatar announced a US$2 billion (RM8.5 billion) joint investment fund and the signing of cooperation agreements in the fields of tourism and higher education.
In February, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi conducted a four-day official visit to Qatar to reaffirm the strong ties between both countries.
Among others, the Qatari government agreed to recognise the Malaysian driving licence, exempting holders from having to sit and pass the driving test there.
Malaysian tourists to Qatar are exempted from having to pay for visas.
To date, Malaysians companies, including WCT Engineering Bhd and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, have secured at least 25 projects in Qatar.
ARAB nations, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, yesterday cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremism, in the biggest diplomatic crisis to hit the region in years.
Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen joined Saudi Arabia and Egypt in severing relations with gas-rich Qatar, with Riyadh accusing Doha of supporting groups, including some backed by Iran, “that aim to destabilise the region”.
Qatar reacted with fury, denying any support for extremists and accusing its Gulf neighbours of seeking to put the country under “guardianship”.
The crisis was likely to have wide-ranging consequences, not just for Qatar and its citizens, but around the Middle East and for Western interests.
Qatar hosts the largest United States airbase in the region, which is crucial to operations against the Islamic State, and is set to host the 2022 World Cup.
The announcement came less than a month after US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia to cement ties with Riyadh and called for a united front among Muslim countries against extremism.
The Gulf states and Egypt said they were severing diplomatic ties and closing transport links with Qatar, which relies heavily on imports from its neighbours.
The Gulf states banned their citizens from travelling to Qatar and ordered Qatari citizens to leave within 14 days.
Saudi Arabia also closed its borders with Qatar, effectively blocking food and other supplies exported by land to Qatar.
Media in Qatar reported that there was already panic buying by people stocking up on food.
Riyadh said the move aimed to “protect its national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism”.
The measures were the result of “gross violations committed by authorities in Qatar”, Riyadh said, accusing Doha of harbouring “terrorist and sectarian groups that aim to destabilise the region including the Muslim Brotherhood, Daesh (IS) and al-Qaeda”.
Gulf states have for years accused Qatar of supporting extremist groups, in particular the Muslim Brotherhood, the world’s oldest Islamist organisation.
Riyadh accused Doha of supporting Iran-backed “terrorist activities” in Saudi Arabia’s Shiadominated area of Qatif, as well as in Bahrain, both of which saw Shia unrest over the past six years.
Qatar has consistently denied any support for extremists or Iran and did so again after yesterday’s move by its neighbours.
“The measures are unjustified and are based on false and baseless claims,” the Qatari Foreign Ministry said.
“The aim is clear, and it is to impose guardianship on the state,” it said, insisting authorities would “take all measures necessary... to foil attempts to affect or harm Qatar’s society and economy”.
The economic consequences were already emerging, with UAE carriers Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai and Air Arabia, as well as Saudi Airlines, announcing the suspension of flights to and from Qatar as of today.
Yemen’s government also announced it was cutting ties with Qatar. A Saudi-led coalition battling Iran-backed rebels in Yemen said it had expelled Doha.
The coalition accused Qatar of providing “support to (terrorist) organisations in Yemen” — the first time it made such a claim.
In Sydney, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he did not expect the announcement to have “any significant impact, if any impact at all, on the unified fight against terrorism in the region or globally”.
He encouraged Qatar and its neighbours to “sit down together and address these differences”.
In Teheran, Iran’s Foreign Ministry yesterday urged Qatar and neighbouring Gulf countries that have severed diplomatic ties with it to engage in dialogue.
“The solution to differences between states in the region, including the current problem between Qatar and its three neighbours, is only possible through political and peaceful methods and dialogue,” ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said.
In Ankara, Turkey yesterday called for dialogue, saying it was ready to help defuse the row between Qatar and Arab nations that accuse Doha of supporting extremism.
“It’s a development that saddened all of us,” said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
“There could be problems between the countries, but dialogue must prevail.” AFP