Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s coalition partners PKR and Amanah have come to the prime minister’s defence over his statement on Kashmir which has caused anger in India with threats of a trade boycott.
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said he was not surprised by Mahathir’s defence of his statement at the UN General Assembly, in which he accused India of “invading Kashmir” despite a UN resolution on the territory.
“Mahathir is known to be consistent with his views,” Anwar told reporters at the Parliament today.
Anwar, saying Mahathir’s comments may reflect some people’s sentiments on the Kashmir issue, said the current spat should be resolved amicably in the interest of the economy
Meanwhile, Terengganu Amanah chief Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said Mahathir was speaking out as a statesman.
“I think there is nothing wrong for a statesman to defend the weak just as we have spoken up on Yemen which should not have been invaded by a major power,” he told journalists at the Parliament lobby, adding that it was a “fair statement”.
He added that Malaysia cannot act solely on business considerations.
“Business is not everything. We have a moral responsibility to uphold and defend the rights of smaller nations,” he said.
Firdaos Rosli, an economist with the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, said he believed Mahathir had political reasons for his remarks and had likely calculated their effect.
“I believe the fallout will be minimal and very temporary, if any at all,” he said. “Boycotts don’t usually last long.”
Any disruption of exports to India, he added, would also affect importers in that country. “Our best response to any boycott plan is to just keep quiet and let the issue blow over.”
Firdaos said a bigger concern was possible US trade sanctions as these would affect many industries and supply chains on a national scale.
“This is something we must avoid,” he said. “We need to exhaust all diplomatic channels to prevent this.”
Mahathir’s remarks sparked outrage in India, where many have called for a boycott of Malaysia.
Media reports said India may review its imports of palm oil and other Malaysian products, while an Indian trade organisation has advised its members not to buy palm oil from Malaysia.
Earlier report: Oct 22, Mahathir: We Stand by What We Said on Kashmir