He told reporters at the Parliament lobby here that Mahathir had a duty to speak up for the people of Kashmir whom he said had been “bullied and oppressed” for a long time.

“I don’t think he was wrong in trying to stand up for the weak, as we did for Yemen which should not be attacked by the superpowers,” he added.

“We will no longer continue the policy in which Malaysia is a third-world country that needs to be propped up by bigger countries.”

Mahathir had in a speech at the recent UN General Assembly session accused India of “invading Kashmir and Jammu” despite a UN resolution on the territory.

His remarks sparked an online backlash, with Indian social media users calling for a boycott of Malaysia.

Yesterday, Umno Youth leader Mohd Izwan Mohd Noor said the prime minister had been “reckless” in risking an Indian boycott of Malaysian palm oil.

He also said the current government seemed “hell bent on fighting everyone” even as palm oil exports are on the decline.

However, Raja Kamarul disagreed with Izwan’s view, saying it is important to find a balance between economic concerns and standing up for what is right.

“The economy is not everything,” he added. “We have a moral responsibility to uphold and defend the rights of smaller nations.”