Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said the Taliban should practise democracy, allow freedom of speech and religion, and ensure social fairness, including for women.
He told FMT that Malaysia’s foreign ministry should wait for at least six months before making any decision on recognising the Taliban government.
“If in six months the Taliban government follows universal standards of freedom and democracy, then we can recognise it,” he said.
Recognition of the Taliban government was raised in the Dewan Rakyat by several MPs who had expressed concern that PAS not only welcomed the Taliban government but also defended it. The MPs urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to clarify Malaysia’s stand on the Taliban and whether the government supported the PAS view.
Academic Azmi Hassan told FMT that it was advisable not to recognise the Taliban government for now.
“The foreign affairs ministry should only accept the government if the people of Afghanistan accept their government. But it looks like the Taliban are going back to their old ways of only educating the boys,” he said.
Azmi feels the Taliban government will not change its ways, and is likely to retain rigid laws regarding democracy and freedom of speech. This is because the “present leaders are the same as before”.
Noting the slew of news about the rights and freedom of women being curbed by the Taliban, Azmi said Putrajaya should not recognise that government until and unless the Taliban changed their ways.
On PAS’s support for the Taliban, Azmi said it might backfire as seen on social media where netizens had criticised the Islamic party for supporting the Taliban.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was reported to have defended the Taliban, saying they had changed and that this could be seen in their giving amnesty to those who previously worked with the US.
Hadi had urged Malaysians not to trust western and local media which “are acting as their tools and are focusing on the negative aspects” of the Taliban.
In one of the latest news items, AP reported that the Taliban-run Kabul municipality had asked women to stay at home and had told female middle and high school students not to return to school for the time being. However, it said the boys could go back to school.