The Malaysian Insight

PUTRAJAYA will only recognise the Taliban administration in Afghanistan once it has fulfilled the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) terms on governance and human rights, Parliament was told today. 

These criteria include the establishment of an inclusive government, and defending and preserving the rights of its citizens, especially women and ethnic minorities in the country, said Deputy Foreign Minister Kamarudin Jaffar.

He said Malaysia, through the OIC, could only recognise the interim government once it has met and complied with these conditions. 

He said the other way Putrajaya could recognise the Taliban’s rule on Afghanistan is through a joint agreement within the OIC, in which Malaysia is a member. 

Kamarudin was responding to Fahmi Fadzil (Lembah Pantai-PH) and seven other MPs who asked Putrajaya to state whether it supported the Taliban government that took over Afghanistan in August last year. 

He also reiterated that the visit to Afghanistan by Middle East Special Envoy for the Prime Minister’s Office, Abdul Hadi Awang, in late January, did not amount to recognising the Taliban government.

However, Kamarudin said Putrajaya will still continue to help support and rebuild the war-torn nation through humanitarian missions done by Malaysian civil society groups. 

Meanwhile, through the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and allied parties, the government has already provided US$100,000 (RM238,106) to Afghanistan as humanitarian relief.

Apart from official funding, Kamarudin said Malaysians had contributed more than RM1 million to Afghanistan through various non-governmental humanitarian missions.

“The latest donation is through various civil society groups that left for Afghanistan yesterday, bringing US$50,000 dollars (RM119,053) to buy various necessities and clothing there.

“The government is also still in negotiations to donate 1.6 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Afghanistan,” he said.

He also encouraged private corporations here to seek out investment and trading opportunities in Afghanistan. 

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, there have been major human rights concerns by global civil rights groups such as the Human Rights Watch (HRW). 

In its World Report 2022, HRW said after the Taliban took control of the country on August 15 last year, they rolled back women’s rights advances and media freedom – the foremost achievements of the post-2001 reconstruction effort. 

It said many secondary schools for girls remained closed by the end of the year, and women were largely prohibited from working in jobs outside of teaching and healthcare. – March 16, 2022.