Malaysian PM defends remarks on Kashmir
NEWDELHI: Days after India asked the Malaysian government to desist from commenting on the Kashmir issue, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad defended his remarks that were critical of India and said he had told Prime Minister Narendra Modi the same thing at their last meeting.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September, Mahathir had said that Jammu and Kashmir had been “invaded and occupied”, and that India’s action in the state was “wrong”.
India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson had, on Friday, said the developments in Jammu and Kashmir are a “purely internal matter”, and that Malaysia should keep in mind friendly relations between the two countries and “desist from making such remarks”.
Interacting with reporters in the Malaysian Parliament on Tuesday, Mahathir defended his comments on Kashmir at the UN General Assembly and also said his remarks were an extension of his conversation with Modi when the two leaders met on the margins of the Eastern Economic Summit in Russia in September, according to reports in the Malaysian media.
Malaysia, he said, is not taking sides in the matter. “We must know how to manage this problem... (and) our criticism does not side with anyone,” Mahathir was quoted as saying by the Malaysian media.
“When we make remarks, we are not targeting specifically anyone but we only want both parties to negotiate and not resort to violence,” he added.
Mahathir further said: “Just demanding that both parties negotiate and not use violence. That has always been our policy. Do not use violence and instead, negotiate, or go for arbitration or go to the court of law.”
He added, “This is what I raised to Modi when I met him at Vladivostok, and my speech (at the UNGA ) is an extension of our stand, that we do not want to see violence erupt. Instead, any dispute, conflict among nations must be settled via negotiation, arbitration or court of law.”
Mahathir acknowledged his remarks could be viewed negatively by the country that was criticised. He replied in the negative when he was asked if he expected any repercussions for Malaysia’s trade with India.
“I have already spoken to Modi. If there are any unsatisfactory feelings...he can contact me, but to date, no calls,” he said in r esponse t o a question on whether India had expressed any displeasure with him.
Responding to a question on whether the #Boycottmalaysia hashtag, which began after Mahathir referred to Kashmir in his UN speech, would affect bilateral trade, he replied: “I don’t think so.”