Malaysia’s position on the China-Taiwan issue has remained consistent since the administration of the late Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said.
Fahmi rejected claims by PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent comments to an international media outlet had placed Malaysia in a difficult diplomatic position and narrowed the country’s diplomatic space.
He said Anwar’s remarks were in line with Malaysia’s long-standing foreign policy and reflected the position maintained by Wisma Putra over the years.
Fahmi stressed that there had been no change in Malaysia’s stance on the issue, saying the Prime Minister had merely reiterated an established foreign policy position.
He also criticised PAS for what he described as its focus on international issues while remaining silent on domestic matters involving the interests of Muslims, including the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on Tabung Haji.
According to Fahmi, the RCI report highlighted problems involving the management of Tabung Haji’s accounts and investments between 2014 and 2017, including losses amounting to millions of ringgit.
He questioned why the opposition party had been vocal on issues outside Malaysia but had not expressed a clear position on the findings concerning the Islamic institution.
Fahmi also urged PAS representatives to spend more time studying and debating the Tabung Haji RCI report, particularly after opposition lawmakers were absent from the Dewan Rakyat when Malaysians expected them to scrutinise the matter.
He said the government’s current efforts are focused on restoring Tabung Haji to the position it should hold as an important institution for the Muslim community.
