The source said Israel’s application to join the bank was approved by the ADB’s board of governors in April 2022, more than a year before the Gaza war erupted.

“At the time, Malaysia was the only one among 64 member countries that voted to oppose Israel’s admission to the ADB,” the source said.

The source said 60 governors representing their respective nations voted in favour of admitting Israel, while three others abstained.

The government is fully aware that Israel’s admission as an ADB member is a sensitive matter at the present time. However, it is in no position to act unilaterally, the source said.

“The government is also mindful of the need to act cautiously as any knee-jerk reaction may have a negative impact on the economy,” the source added.

The ADB was set up in 1966 with the goal of establishing prosperity among Asia-Pacific countries while eradicating hardcore poverty.

Each of the 69 member countries has a seat on the ADB’s board of governors. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as the finance minister, is Malaysia’s current representative.

The source said the board of governors elects 12 members to the board of directors, responsible for the general operations of the bank.

The director representing Malaysia, Brunei, Nepal, Singapore and Thailand is Supak Chaiyawan from Thailand, with Nurussa’adah Muharram of Brunei as the alternate director.

Other Muslim majority nations in the ADB are Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Maldives, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Turkey.