Kuala Lumpur, August 8: Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad raised the pitch on Kashmir again, even as he recalled that his erstwhile remarks had damaged India-Malaysia trade ties. The 92-year-old former head of state reiterated the charge of human rights' violations in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley.

"It is important to stand up for humanity. I had chosen to speak out despite being aware of the potential backlash. To my mind, keeping quiet is not an option," Mahathir said, while speaking at a programme organised in Kuala Lumpur to discuss the year-long communication restrictions in Jammu & Kashmir. Muhyiddin Yassin Swears in as New PM of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad Fights On.

See Mahathir Mohamad's Tweet

"I offer no apology for what I had said though I am sorry that it had affected our palm oil export to India. I don’t know if that is a high price to pay for speaking out against such injustices," the former PM added.

India has ended palm oil exports from Malaysia last year, after Mahathir had joined Pakistan PM Imran Khan and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in condemning the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K. The strain in ties, according to experts, has continued since then.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 08, 2020 08:39 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).