By Huang Ching-hsuan and Sam Garcia
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s remarks that Taiwan is a Chinese province seeking independence threaten regional peace and stability and could undermine Taiwanese businesses’ confidence in investing in Malaysia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said today.
Anwar recently made remarks implying that Taiwan is a province seeking to separate from China, effectively legitimizing Beijing’s position on using force to take Taiwan, the ministry said in a statement.
The Republic of China, Taiwan, is a sovereign, independent country and is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China, MOFA said, adding that that fact would not be changed no matter what others claim.
Photo: Reuters
Considering that Malaysia is a democracy and Anwar has long portrayed himself as a defender of democracy and human rights, he should value principles such as freedom, human rights and the rule of law, and respect and uphold the will of the people, the ministry said.
Political maneuvering that endorses attempts to unilaterally change the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait through threats or force would not only undermine Taiwan’s safety and democracy, but also damage political trust between Taiwan and Malaysia, it said.
Taiwan and Malaysia have close economic ties, but given the close link between national sovereignty and economic security, Anwar’s one-sided support for China could undermine Taiwanese businesses’ confidence in investing in Malaysia, the ministry said.
Taiwan would uphold the universal values of democracy, freedom and human rights and continue working with like-minded countries to counter authoritarianism and safeguard peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, it added.