Putrajaya: ASEAN leaders must unite and condemn aggression in West Asia, as actions by Israel and the United States risk destabilising the world and triggering a global economic crisis. United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network president Professor Jeffrey D Sachs urged countries to act collectively rather than individually stating that no single nation can confront the invaders alone.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Sachs emphasized the importance of collective action by ASEAN leaders, highlighting the potential impact of a unified stance. "It's important for countries to get together and all of the ASEAN leaders to say 'This hurts us, this hurts the world, this needs to stop'. It can stop when the aggressors, which is Israel and the United States stop their aggression," he told reporters after attending Forum Ilmuwan Malaysia MADANI titled 'Strategies for Malaysia and ASEAN in an Era of Global Instability', held here today.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir were also present at the forum. Sachs mentioned that global blocs such as BRICS, representing hundreds of millions of people, could also exert pressure on Israel and the United States to halt military operations.

"I think the war is going to stop when the important nations of the world get together and speak clearly and say what Israel and the United States is doing is blatantly illegal and it's risking the entire world. We haven't had that yet because countries that are aligned with the United States are afraid to tell the truth," he said.

Sachs praised leaders like Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for their clear and moral stance, urging more leaders to hold aggressors accountable. "He (Anwar) speaks clearly, he speaks truthfully, he speaks morally, he speaks practically - completely correct. We need other leaders in the world to do the same because if the world says to the United States and Israel 'stop this barbarism,' they'll have to stop it," he said.

Earlier in his speech, Sachs called for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Iran to unite in opposition to foreign military intervention. "We're not going to see an end of this war until the Gulf countries also say 'This war needs to stop and Israel needs to go home'," he added.