Malaysia, a member of the council, was one of the 58 countries that abstained in the voting on Thursday; 93 countries voted in favour while 24 countries voted against the resolution.

Those abstaining included Asean members Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia, while Vietnam voted against the resolution. Others abstaining included India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and Pakistan.

The foreign ministry said in a statement today that Malaysia believed an inquiry into allegations of human rights violations in the Ukraine conflict must be carried out first.

“As a Human Rights Council member, Malaysia reiterates its principled position against any politicisation of issues at the council. The situation in the conflict areas in Ukraine is a call for grave concern,” said the statement, according to Bernama.

The Human Rights Council is a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly. The assembly, on a two-thirds majority vote, may suspend the membership of a council member that commits gross and systematic violations of human rights.

Asean calls for probe into atrocities

Asean foreign ministers have backed a call by the UN secretary-general for an independent investigation of all alleged atrocities against innocent civilians, including in Bucha, a city in Ukraine’s Kyiv Oblast, where a massacre has been reported.

The foreign ministers had jointly expressed their condolences to the people of Ukraine for the reported killing of civilians in the country, Bernama reported.

They also stressed the importance of humanitarian corridors to allow the safe transit of humanitarian aid into Ukraine.