KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has not established official bilateral relations nor cooperation in education specifically with the Taliban-led Afghanistan government, says Fadhlina Sidek.
The Education Minister said the visit by Afghanistan's Education Ministry to Malaysia last year was merely aimed at sharing insights about each country's education system.
"As of now, the Malaysian government has yet to recognize the de facto Authority of Afghanistan (PBDFA).
"Therefore, no official relations or strategic cooperation in education have been established between the two governments," said Fadhlina in reply to a question from Mohd Misbahul Munir Masduki (PN-Parit Buntar).
Mohd Misbahul Munir had asked the Education Ministry to state the nature of bilateral relations between Malaysia and Afghanistan in education as a result of the recent visit by the Afghan government.
In this regard, Fadhlina said the Education Ministry will continue to seek advice and guidance from Wisma Putra, which is responsible for setting Malaysia's bilateral relations policies before any form of cooperation can be considered.
"Malaysia has long been recognised as a modern and progressive Islamic nation with a sustainable and inclusive education system.
"This visit provided the Afghan delegation with an opportunity to gain deeper insights into the approaches and best practices in education implemented in Malaysia," she explained.
She added that the visit also did not involve any formal agreements or bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and Afghanistan in education.
"This visit was fully funded by an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) responsible for managing funds provided by the European Union (EU) to support capacity-building efforts in Afghanistan," she said.
