PUTRAJAYA, Dec 27 — Malaysia hopes that Afghanistan would rethink its decision on banning women from universities as it is detrimental to the educational development of Muslims, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

In a statement today, Mohamed Khaled said he had written a letter to Afghan acting Minister of Higher Education Neda Mohammad Nadeem, delivered through its Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Moheb Rahman Spinghar, urging Afghanistan to revisit the decision.

"I have shared with the Honourable Minister, among others, our country's experience and practice in Malaysia to honour women who contribute primarily to our national interest agenda. I am very saddened to learn about the decision of Afghanistan's Higher Education Ministry on the recent banning of women from Afghanistan's higher institutions," he said.

Mohamed Khaled said Malaysian women had immensely improved the nation's reputation through sound education, and the harnessing of their talent and skills as equal partners in various industries had helped in Malaysia’s drive to be a high-income country.

"I believe that education for Afghan women will make them a valuable asset to the nation and help build resilience, stability and strong social cohesion towards nation-building," he said. — Bernama