Malaysia's official stand on Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan will be decided at Friday's Cabinet meeting, says Saifuddin

KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Malaysia’s official stand on Taliban fighters’ takeover of Afghanistan will be decided at the weekly Cabinet meeting this Friday, said Foreign minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (pic).

Saifuddin said Malaysia is engaging with all relevant stakeholders including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and humanitarian groups in Afghanistan to seek their views and feedback on the issue in Afghanistan.

He said Malaysia for now is taking cautious approach in deciding its official stand on the Taliban takeover, adding the issue will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting so that a concrete decision can be made.

"Today evening, I will call Qatar Foreign Minister (Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani) and secretary general of OIC (Yousef Al-Othaimeen) to seek their advice and opinion concerning the affairs (hal-ehwal) in Afghanistan,” he told a press conference after a working visit to The Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT) here, on Tuesday (Sept 7).

The Taliban fighters entered Kabul on Aug 15 and took control of Afghanistan for the first time in almost 20 years as the US troops withdrew from the country. Following Taliban's capture of the Afghan capital, president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left the country.

However, despite of the many announcements made of a new Taliban government nothing has materialised yet.

Saifuddin said Malaysia is monitoring the situation in Afghanistan through various channels including through the Malaysian High Commission in New Delhi, India which is concurrently accredited to Kabul, besides representatives in Pakistan.

On the status of Afghan ambassador in Malaysia Dr Moheb Rahman Spin Ghar, Saifuddin said the diplomat was an appointee of former Afghan government and he was not recalled back to his country.

He also said the Malaysian High Commission in New Delhi is constantly in touch with two Malaysians in Afganistan who are working for international humanitarian organisation in Kabul.- Bernama