Malaysia to help Afghans in reconstruction efforts

 

Malaysia is planning to help the Afghan people under the Taliban interim government in two stages - extending humanitarian aid and engaging with businessmen and professionals to assist in the mid-term reconstruction of the war-torn country.

Malaysian Foreign Minister’s special adviser on Afghan affairs Ahmad Azam Ab Rahman (above) said the priority now is to establish the Malaysian Humanitarian Centre and begin its operations.

The centre will gather all Malaysian humanitarian NGOs and become a one-stop centre in assisting Afghans seeking humanitarian assistance in the form of food, shelter and medical needs.

"Besides basic needs like food, shelter and medicine, we are also encouraging professionals like experienced bankers and financial advisers and businessmen from Malaysia to revive the economy in Afghanistan," he said after attending the Afghan community 'meet and greet session' with Foreign Minister Seri Saifuddin Abdullah at the International Islamic University Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur last night.

Malaysia is yet to make its official stand on the Taliban government and is taking a cautious approach on the new regime in Afghanistan.

The Taliban captured Kabul on Aug 15 and seized control of Afghanistan for the first time in 20 years, after the United States retreated from the country.

Western narrative

Afghan president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani also left the country when the Taliban advanced on the capital city.

Ahmad Azam, who is the commissioner to the Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), also hoped that the 17th extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC on Saturday in Islamabad, Pakistan, will make a pledge to seek more funds for the humanitarian assistance for the Afghan people.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin in his dialogue session with the Afghan community expressed Malaysia's readiness to understand more about the interim Taliban government while making sure the country does not fall into the western narrative which has its own reasons of what is happening in the country.

He said the priority of the Malaysian government now is to ensure how humanitarian assistance can be rendered, adding that the peace process in Afghanistan should be centred on its stakeholders and people, based on an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled peace and reconciliation processes.

On his expectation of the 17th extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC, the minister who will be representing Malaysia said he hoped the international organisation will make a statement on the issue of the US freezing more than US$9 billion (RM38 billion) of Afghan assets after the Taliban seized control in August.

- Bernama