Editor's note: An earlier version of this story had erroneously stated that the emergency motion by Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar was shot down by Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof. This article has been updated with the necessary corrections. The error is deeply regretted.

PARLIAMENT | Harapan and BN MPs have joined forces to call upon the government to table a motion urging a debate on Israel’s move to declare itself a Jewish nation state.

This is after Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof allowed Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar to move for an emergency motion on the matter, to be debated in the House.

Ariff then ruled for the debate to be held in the special chambers, where Nurul Izzah was joined by Ayer Hitam MP Wee Ka Siong and Parit MP Mohd Nizar Zakaria.

“We suggested a motion to condemn the move by Israel.

“We want this to be discussed and debated, and we want Malaysia’s strong stance to be heard and agreed upon by all MPs in the Dewan Rakyat.

“We suggested that the Foreign Ministry (raise this motion),” Nurul Izzah said to the press after the special chambers' session.

She hoped that Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah would table this motion as soon as possible.

Standing next to her was Wee, who said a government motion would expedite the debate and was confident it would receive cross-bench support.

“If the Foreign Ministry can raise this as a motion prioritised by the government, I do not think it will be difficult to get unanimous support for the condemnation of (Israel’s) decision,” he said.

On Jul 19, the Israeli Parliament voted in a law that declared the land of Israel as the historical homeland of the Jewish people and that the right to exercise national self-determination in the state of Israel is unique to the Jewish people.

It also declared Hebrew as the official language and downgraded the Arabic language to only "special status".

The Malaysian Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) has previously condemned this move.

Malaysia does not have diplomatic relations with Israel.