Khaled: Malaysia will not send Malbatt peacekeepers to Yemen

Kota Tinggi: Malaysia has decided against sending its Malaysian Battalion (Malbatt) peacekeeping force to Yemen, citing the ongoing conflict in the country. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin explained that Malbatt peacekeepers are typically deployed to post-conflict areas, not active war zones. The decision to send peacekeeping forces remains dependent on directives from the United Nations (UN), and is not made independently by Malaysia.

In a recent interview, Khaled emphasized that any decision will be guided by the UN, rather than made on their own. He pointed out that while Malaysia maintains diplomatic relations with the Yemeni government, the conflict in Yemen involves Houthi forces in conflict with Saudi Arabia. Khaled clarified that there is the Yemeni government with which they have diplomatic relations, and another region occupied by the Houthi group, which is in conflict with Saudi Arabia, not Yemen as a whole.

Khaled stressed that intervening in the middle of a war would inevitably result in casualties, and therefore, Malaysia cannot simply send peacekeeping forces to Yemen. He reiterated that the decision to send peacekeeping forces is subject to UN directives.