“His announcement has caught many by surprise and he must answer a few questions.

“Firstly, Malaysia has not officially recognised the Taliban government of Afghanistan.

“Secondly, did the Cabinet authorise him to make such a statement on behalf of the government?

“Such a commitment must be endorsed by the Cabinet as many protocols are involved here,” he said in a statement today.

On Friday, Taliban government spokesman Suhail Shaheen was reported as saying that Hadi had conveyed the pledge to help Afghanistan with humanitarian and economic assistance, including aid to redevelop the country.

He had said the assurance was given by Hadi when he met representatives of the Taliban government in Qatar last week.

Salahuddin said the country’s foreign policy was set by Wisma Putra and wondered if Hadi had jumped the gun and exceeded his capacity to make such a commitment.

“Although we generally agree that the Afghanistan people need help, proper procedures and protocols must be observed.

“Under normal procedures, Malaysia must wait for the United Nations’ recognition before committing itself to helping a controversial government like that in Afghanistan.”

The former minister said he was shocked by Hadi’s “hasty” announcement, as prominent religious figures are usually known to make wise and cautious decisions.

He said besides the UN, Asean and Malaysia too had also not made any official stand on recognising the Taliban government.

Salahuddin said if Hadi was indeed very concerned about the sufferings of Muslims in the Middle East, why was he ignoring the plight of Yemenis who were facing relentless attacks by Saudi Arabia and its Western allies.

“Millions of children and adults are suffering in Yemen and the country is facing a humanitarian crisis due to the actions of more powerful nations ,” he said.

He also asked if Hadi’s sudden announcement on the aid to Afghanistan was actually a political ploy as the next general election appears to be imminent.