PETALING JAYA: Criticism of the government’s diplomatic approach by an opposition leader has been described as shallow and failing to reflect today’s complex geopolitical realities.
Kedah PKR communications director Tunku Nashrul Abaidah said remarks by PAS central working committee member Prof Dr Haim Hilman Abdullah showed a lack of understanding regarding the need for swift communication among world leaders.
He said that in an interconnected landscape, leadership requires direct channels to coordinate responses quickly rather than relying solely on formal frameworks.
“As an example, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim received a call from his counterpart in Pakistan before stepping in as a mediator in talks involving the United States and Iran. This shows that diplomacy today is more agile,” he said in a statement on Thursday (April 16).
Earlier, Haim Hilman reportedly described Anwar’s communication with foreign leaders as routine government-to-government (G2G) business that should not be regarded as an extraordinary achievement or disclosed in detail to the public.
Tunku Nashrul stressed that this view was narrow, especially concerning strategic national interests. He noted that while hundreds of vessels were recently stranded, Malaysia was among the first to secure passage through effective diplomacy.
“This is proof of the Madani diplomacy’s ability to prioritise national security and interests,” he said.
He cautioned against belittling such efforts for political purposes, adding that the public has a right to be informed of actions taken to safeguard the economy and national security.
