PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia is taking a very cautious approach in deciding its official stance on the Taliban government in Afghanistan, said Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.
He said the government is following all events occurring in the country very closely, particularly in Kabul.
“We received reports from various sectors and will soon be making our stance.
“As far as we are concerned, as of today, we are still making our assessment on the situation in Afghanistan,” he told a press conference on his first day in office here today.
The Taliban fighters entered Kabul on August 15 and took control of Afghanistan for the first time in almost 20 years as United States troops withdrew from the country. Following the Taliban’s capture of the Afghan capital, president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left the country.
Asked about the reports of two Malaysians believed to be fighting alongside the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan and detained by the Taliban, Saifuddin said he has spoken to Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani regarding the matter.
“Police are still awaiting credible information on the two reported as Malaysians.
“Nonetheless, two Malaysians are also there as volunteers for a humanitarian organisation, so it’s not an issue for now,” he said.
Britain’s The Times quoted Taliban’s CID chief Saifullah Mohammed as saying that six fighters – four Afghans and two Malaysians – were detained following a gun battle on the western side of Kabul on the night of August 26. However, the report did not identify the Malaysians.
On Asean’s approach in dealing with the crisis in Myanmar, Saifuddin said Malaysia is confident that Asean special envoy to Myanmar Erywan Mohd Yusof will be able to play his role.
“I will be meeting him as soon as possible,” he said, adding that this is a continuation of what his predecessor Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein has been doing.
Saifuddin said he is also hopeful some positive results will be achieved from the five-point consensus mandated by Asean leaders.
Myanmar has been facing civil unrest since the military coup on February 1, which ousted the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The political problem in the country has been compounded by the surge in Covid-19 infections.
On the South China Sea, Saifuddin said he is happy with developments relating to the negotiations on the code of conduct (COC) compared with when he was in charge of the foreign affairs before.
“When I left previously, we were struggling on the single text. In foreign policy work, the single text is quite a milestone because it makes it easier for all parties to sit down at the negotiation table and discuss matters.
“Yes, we want to make sure that the COC will materialise,” he said.
Responding to a question about Malaysia’s relations with Singapore, which have been thorny regarding the water agreement and the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high speed rail, Saifuddin said the bilateral ties have always been good.
Saifuddin said his relations with his Singaporean counterpart, Vivian Balakrishnan, are very warm and he is looking forward to enhancing and strengthening all the things both countries have agreed upon.
“We consider ourselves good friends. I would say there will not be a problem between me and Vivian.
“The two prime ministers spoke to each other as soon as Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob was appointed. I was made to understand that it was a very warm and fruitful discussion between the two,” Saifuddin said. – Bernama, September 1, 2021
