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Saudi Arabia Under Siege: UN Credibility Tested - Part 3

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Saudi Arabia’s  vulnerability to repeated attacks on its civilian infrastructure exposes a deeper crisis than the failure of air defences. It raises questions about whether international institutions can prevent regional conflicts from escalating when powerful states pursue competing strategic interests. The reported Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on 10 October 2026, which Saudi authorities said killed 12 people and injured more than 300, underscores the human cost of a conflict that continues to resist diplomatic containment. The central question is no longer whether the United Nations can condemn attacks. It is whether the UN, particularly its Security Council, can translate condemnation into effective measures that prevent further violence. The ongoing wars involving Iran and the United States, and Russia and Ukraine, have intensified doubts about the organisation’s ability to uphold collective security consistently. Saudi Arabia’s Security Cri...
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Saudi Arabia Under Siege: Can Arab Diplomacy Deliver Peace? - Part 2

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  Saudi Arabia’s vulnerability to missile and drone attacks on its airports and strategic infrastructure exposes a fundamental weakness in regional security: military strength cannot guarantee stability when neighbouring conflicts remain unresolved and regional institutions struggle to convert diplomatic declarations into coordinated action. The reported Houthi attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport in October 2026, which killed civilians and injured hundreds according to initial reports, has transformed Yemen’s conflict into an immediate test of Arab regional leadership. The question is no longer simply how Saudi Arabia can strengthen its air defences or retaliate against the Houthis. It is whether the League of Arab States and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) can develop a coordinated strategy to prevent further attacks, contain the conflict and establish conditions for a sustainable political settlement in Yemen. Both institutions...
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Yemen’s Escalation Demands Malaysian Diplomacy Now - Part 1

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  The renewed fighting in Yemen is no longer simply a domestic struggle between the Houthi movement and the internationally recognised Yemeni government. It is becoming a dangerous regional confrontation with implications for Saudi Arabia’s security, Iran’s strategic calculations, international shipping and the global energy market.  For Malaysia, the crisis demands more than expressions of concern. It presents an opportunity to mobilise the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in pursuit of a negotiated settlement before another regional war imposes a heavier economic and humanitarian burden on the world. Reports on October 7 and 8 indicated that Houthi attacks had targeted Saudi airports, killing civilians, while Saudi-backed Yemeni forces advanced against Houthi positions near the strategically important Bab al-Mandeb Strait.  Reuters also reported that Syria was considering possible military assistance to Saudi Arabia, although the scope of any involvement rema...
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Malaysia Needs a National School Safety Framework

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  The murder of students within school premises should force Malaysia to confront a question that cannot be answered with another post-incident investigation: Are Malaysian schools sufficiently equipped to protect students from serious violence? The question has become increasingly urgent following the murder of 16-year-old Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal in Yong Peng, Johor, and the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen at SMK Bandar Utama Damansara 4 in October 2025. Although the circumstances and motives of the two cases must be determined through proper police investigations, both incidents expose a disturbing vulnerability: the school environment itself is not automatically a shield against violence. In the Damansara case, police reported that the victim sustained multiple stab wounds and that two weapons were seized. A 14-year-old student was arrested in connection with the murder. Police also indicated that there was no confirmed evidence of bullying at that sta...
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Flydubai Incident: Who Has Jurisdiction to Investigate? - Part 3

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  The reported attack aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30, 2026, raises a complex question of international aviation law: when an alleged offence occurs aboard a foreign-registered aircraft flying through another country's airspace, which state has the legal authority to investigate and prosecute? The incident presents an unusual jurisdictional intersection involving Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Israel and India. The aircraft departed Dubai, was registered in the UAE, experienced an alleged violent confrontation in Saudi Arabian airspace and made an emergency landing in Tabuk.  The captain, an Indian national, reportedly sustained serious injuries, while passengers included Israeli nationals. Saudi authorities conducted an initial investigation with UAE participation, and the UAE subsequently announced that its Attorney-General had established a specialised investigative team, asserting jurisdiction because the aircraft was UAE-registered. This situa...
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Beyond 9/11: Flydubai Incident Demands New Aviation Security Protocols - Part 2

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  The reported cockpit attack aboard a Flydubai aircraft on September 30, 2026, raises a fundamental question for international aviation: after more than two decades of security reforms following September 11, 2001, how prepared are airlines to confront threats originating from within their own flight crews? The incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv, reportedly involved a co-pilot attacking the captain with a sharp object, causing the aircraft to lose approximately 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Passengers and crew intervened, while other pilots aboard the aircraft helped regain control and land safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Reuters reported that Israeli authorities were investigating the incident and that the motive remained unclear. Although the incident generated concerns about a possible hijacking, it is important not to prematurely classify it as terrorism. An act of violence against a fellow pilot, an attempted seizure of an aircr...
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