Top Malaysian diplomat summoned to MEA over Mahathir's comments on India's 'internal affairs'

India on Saturday summoned the Charge d'Affairs of Malaysian embassy and lodged a strong protest with him over Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's "insensitive" comments criticising the new citizenship law. The senior diplomat was summoned to the External Affairs Ministry and was told that the Malaysian prime minister's comments were not in sync with established diplomatic practice of non-interference in any country's internal affairs, official sources said.

The Malaysian prime minister, at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, criticised the citizenship law and voiced concerns over "difficulties" being faced by minorities in India, according to reports. Reacting to his earlier comments on the issue, the External Affairs Ministry, in a statement on Friday, had termed them as "factually inaccurate". "We call upon Malaysia to refrain from commenting on internal developments in India, especially without a right understanding of the facts," it said.

The sources said the Malaysian Charge d'Affairs was conveyed that the remarks by Mohamad were "insensitive" and that he was ill-informed on the issue, adding Malaysia was asked to take a long-term and strategic view of the bilateral relations. They said Malaysian diplomat was also conveyed that the remarks by Mohamad are neither in keeping with accepted diplomatic practice of non-interference in each other's internal affairs, nor with the state of ties between the two countries.

The Malaysian PM criticised the new law and wondered what was the need for it when different communities in Indian lived together for 70 years. In its statement, the MEA on Friday said the new law does not impact in any manner on the status of any citizen of India, or deprive any Indian of any faith of her or his citizenship.