While no country can push Malaysia to recognise Israel and there is no pressure in the United Nations that can be applied against Malaysia in the matter, the country must allow any UN member states into the country when it is hosting a UN-linked event, said former diplomats.

"There's no pressure that can be applied on us to agree except if we are doing international events where no discrimination is allowed," former UN general assembly president Razali Ismail told Malaysiakini.

"If you want to do the Olympics, you cannot prevent somebody from taking part in something like that because that is an event that you cannot show any discrimination," he added...