KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 1 — Malaysia hasn’t decided its official stance on the Taliban as yet, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah said today.
He said the government is still receiving information from Kabul on a daily basis and is in discussions on what stance Malaysia should take regarding the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan.
“We are following what has been happening in Afghanistan and we are receiving a lot of information on a daily basis from many parties,” he said today during a virtual press conference from Putrajaya.
“We are taking a cautious approach and not rushing into it; so for now, that’s the situation.
“With the information that we have received, we will be making our stand official soon. But for now, we are still assessing the situation.”
The Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul two weeks ago after the government collapsed, prompting a mass exodus of both citizens and foreigners, and signalling the end of a costly two-decade US campaign to rebuild the country.
Following that, news emerged that two Malaysians were detained by Taliban authorities in Afghanistan.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the police took note of the news report that two Malaysians were arrested over their alleged involvement with the Islamic State (IS).
When asked today about these reports, Saifuddin said the government had yet to receive any official reports on the situation.
“I spoke to the IGP on the developments in Kabul. The police are still waiting for legitimate reports on the two who were detained. However, I can share that there are currently two other Malaysians in Kabul who are there on humanitarian grounds,” said Saifuddin.
