February 21, 2022
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia is not opening any government office in Afghanistan, says Wisma Putra.
The clarification comes after several photos were tweeted of a meeting between acting Afghanistan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi and Global Peace Mission (GPM) chairman Datuk Ahmad Azam Ab Rahman on Sunday (Feb 20).
Ahmad Azam is also Wisma Putra’s special adviser on Afghanistan.
A Wisma Putra spokesman confirmed that Ahmad Azam was indeed in Kabul but the office mentioned by Mawlawi Amir in a tweet was actually a new GPM office.
“The new office mentioned in the tweet actually refers to the opening of a new GPM, not a Malaysian government office,” the spokesman said when asked to respond to the tweets.
Earlier, Afghanistan Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Wahar Balkhi had said that Ahmad Azam had called on Mawlawi Amir to discuss increasing humanitarian aid, transparency, Islamic finance and enhancing relations.
“Ahmad Azam said a flight carrying assistance from the Malaysian people would arrive in Kabul on Feb 23, 2022, and that they would open an office in Kabul for the cohesion of aid and economic cooperation,” Abdul Qahar’s tweet read.
Abdul Qahar also tweeted that Mawlawi Amir thanked and welcomed the assistance of the Malaysian people, and called on cooperation to find a market for their medicinal herbs as well as dried fruit via an air corridor to develop its economy.
Last month, Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said Malaysia has yet to take a decision on recognising the Taliban government in Afghanistan and was taking a cautious approach on the matter.
He also said the Malaysian government is waiting to see the stand taken on the Taliban government in Afghanistan by international bodies such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) before deciding on its own stand on the matter.
Twitter embed:
Today, Special Advisor to the Malaysian Foreign Minister on Afghanistan called on the Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss increasing humanitarian aid, transparency, Islamic finance & enhancing relations. pic.twitter.com/2Ek0s2tgDY
— Abdul Qahar Balkhi (@QaharBalkhi) February 20, 2022