‘No apologies, keeping quiet not an option’: Ex-Malaysia PM Mahathir on Kashmir remarks

Taking to Twitter, the former PM today clarified that he offered “no apology for what (he) had said,” adding that he is “sorry that it had affected our palm oil export to India.” “I don’t know if that is a high price to pay for speaking out against such injustices,” he said.

I offer no apology for what I had said though I am sorry that it had affected our palm oil export to India. I don’t know if that is a high price to pay for speaking out against such injustices.

— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) August 8, 2020

“I had chosen to speak out despite being aware of the potential backlash. To my mind, keeping quiet is not an option,” he said.

Referring to the first anniversary of the revocation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that granted special rights to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, Mahathir said that since he is no more the Prime Minister, he can now “speak without restrain and address the Kashmir issue without threats of boycotts.”

Now that Iam no more the Prime Minister, I take it that I can now speak without restrain and address the Kashmir issue without threats of boycotts and such.

AT THE “KASHMIR’S ONE YEAR LOCKDOWN SINCE 5TH AUGUST 2019

KUALA LUMPUR

— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) August 8, 2020

In January this year, India had imposed new curbs on imports of palm oil, effectively banning imports of refined palm oil from Malaysia, the world’s second-biggest producer and exporter of palm oil after Indonesia.

The move came after New Delhi objected to Mahathir’s criticism of the CAA. Mahathir had then indicated he would continue to speak out against “wrong things”.

The 95-year-old, whose outspoken nature has soured ties with both India and Saudi Arabia in the past, had earlier accused India of invading Kashmir.

Last year in September, Mahathir had raised the Kashmir issue while speaking at the UN General Assembly, drawing a strong reaction from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which said India “completely rejects the references made in respect of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India.”

In late February this year, the former prime minister resigned and was later replaced by Muhyiddin Yassin after a weeklong political crisis.