"India took steps to protect its national interest," says Malaysian minister YB Kulasegaran Murugeson
Kuala Lumpur [Malaysia], June 2 (ANI): Expressing strong concern over the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Malaysian leaders have acknowledged India's measured response and affirmed their support for peace and regional stability.
YB Kulasegaran Murugeson, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) of Malaysia, said the incident was 'shocking' and 'should not have happened at all.'
Speaking to ANI, Murugeson stated, 'India has taken necessary action. We spoke about Malaysia's concerns, and we feel India took steps to protect its national interest.' He added, 'We hope cross-border terrorism doesn't take place anymore,' underscoring Malaysia's desire for peace in the region.
Malaysia's Deputy Minister of National Unity, YB Senator Saraswathy Kandasami, echoed similar sentiments following a meeting with an Indian all-party delegation. She said the message brought by the delegation was clear -- that India seeks peace and development, not conflict.
'There was a detailed explanation of what had happened on 22 April, and the Indian government's measured reaction after the attack. The all-party delegation very clearly conveyed the aspiration of the Indian government that India is not at all interested in war,' Kandasami told ANI.
Highlighting India's economic focus, Kandasami said, 'India, as the world's fourth-largest economy, is focused on continued economic growth with the goal of becoming the third-largest economy. There needs to be an end to this aggression... They were seeking support from Malaysia and other countries in this region.'
She emphasised that India and Pakistan are both friendly countries to Malaysia and noted that the Indian delegation urged Malaysia to help convey the message of peace and development to Pakistan. 'They brought us this message so that we could convey it to Pakistan--that the need of the hour is not conflict, but economic development,' she added.
Reaffirming Malaysia's stance, Kandasami said, 'Our response has been made very clear by our Prime Minister--that Malaysia also has zero tolerance towards any form of violence, be it in any part of the world.'
The Group 3 Indian delegation, led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, met with representatives of Malaysia's Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) - People's Justice Party - in Kuala Lumpur. The PKR delegation was headed by Deputy Minister Saraswathy Kandasami.
The Indian delegation includes Aparajita Sarangi (BJP), TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Brij Lala (BJP), John Brittas (CPI-M), Pradan Baruah (BJP), Hemang Joshi (BJP), Salman Khurshid, and Mohan Kumar.
This meeting marked a significant engagement between Indian lawmakers and Malaysian political leaders as part of a broader diplomatic outreach to brief international partners on India's counter-terrorism efforts.
The visit comes in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, which killed 26 people. As part of the operation, Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, eliminating over 100 terrorists affiliated with groups including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
The delegation's tour includes visits to Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore to highlight India's firm stance against cross-border terrorism and to reinforce its commitment to peace and development. (ANI)
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