Malaysia's nonagenarian former prime leader Mahathir Mohamad, one of the world's longest-serving politicians, announced on Wednesday that he will concentrate on writing, after suffering his first political defeat in more than fifty years.

In a five-way race for his long-held electorate on the resort island of Langkawi on Saturday, the 97-year-old statesman finished fourth.&nbsp;

For the first time after his loss, Mahathir commented. He acknowledged his defeat but did not indicate if he would leave politics.&nbsp;

He stated that he will write about the nation's history for the time being.

Mahathir wrote on his Facebook page, "Many events that happened in the country have not yet been recorded, including what happened during British rule."&nbsp;

Due to some "aggravations" by the previous colonisers, Mahathir banned the admission of British imports and contracts during his first year in office in 1981 under the "Buy British Last" policy.&nbsp;

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/virginia-multiple-fatalities-reported-after-mass-shooting-at-chesapeake-walmart-536650">&nbsp;Virginia: Shooter who killed six in Chesapeake Walmart, shot self, was a store employee, say cops</a>

Mahathir is a prolific writer with a blog and multiple books to his credit. He is a maverick noted for his scathing language and anti-Western tirades.&nbsp;

When he was elected as premier for the second time in 2018, two months before turning 93, he held the Guinness World Record for being the "world's oldest current prime minister."

(with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

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Malaysia's nonagenarian former prime leader Mahathir Mohamad, one of the world's longest-serving politicians, announced on Wednesday that he will concentrate on writing, after suffering his first political defeat in more than fifty years.

Malaysia's nonagenarian former prime leader Mahathir Mohamad, one of the world's longest-serving politicians, announced on Wednesday that he will concentrate on writing, after suffering his first political defeat in more than fifty years. In a five-way race for his long-held electorate on the resort island of Langkawi on Saturday, the 97-year-old statesman finished fourth. For the first time after his loss, Mahathir commented. He acknowledged his defeat but did not indicate if he would leave politics. He stated that he will write about the nation's history for the time being. Mahathir wrote on his Facebook page, "Many events that happened in the country have not yet been recorded, including what happened during British rule." Due to some "aggravations" by the previous colonisers, Mahathir banned the admission of British imports and contracts during his first year in office in 1981 under the "Buy British Last" policy. Also Read: Virginia: Shooter who killed six in Chesapeake Walmart, shot self, was a store employee, say cops Mahathir is a prolific writer with a blog and multiple books to his credit. He is a maverick noted for his scathing language and anti-Western tirades. When he was elected as premier for the second time in 2018, two months before turning 93, he held the Guinness World Record for being the "world's oldest current prime minister." (with inputs from agencies)

Malaysia: Former PM Mahathir says will focus on writing after poll defeat

Malaysians began to vote in country's general elections on Saturday after four years of political instability in Kuala Lumpur's power corridors. Three prime ministers have governed the Southeast Asian nation after last election was fought on the issue of corruption four years ago. Pollsters have predicted a close contest between long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and blocs led by current Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and former PM Muhyiddin Yassin.

In a staunchly battled out election campaign, issues such as corruption, climate change and the state of economy due to effects of COVID-19 pandemic remained key highlights prior to Saturday's polling.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/malaysia-15th-general-elections-polling-station-opens-race-between-three-major-coalitions-535472">Malaysia 15th General Elections: Polling station opens; race between three major coalitions</a>

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The politics in Malaysia has been dominated by the 2015 1MDB corruption scandal, which reportedly led to billions of dollars being embezzled out of the country. The scandal led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Najib Rajak, who is now facing a 12-year prison sentence for corruption.&nbsp;

Frontrunners

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who came to power last year, is aiming to win a stronger mandate. However, he is seen to be losing the popularity contest to Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Pollsters say that there is strong support for former deputy Prime Minister and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.

Mahathir Mohamad, who has served as Malaysian Prime Minister cumulatively for 24 years, too is seeking re-election. The 97-year-old veteran leader, was ousted as Prime Minister by his own party two years ago after becoming the country’s leader for a second time in 2018.

Mahathir Mohamad will defend his stronghold seat in the resort island of Langkawi with his newly formed ethnic Malay alliance Gerakan Tanah Air, or Homeland Movement. While he is expected to win his own support, pollsters say he is unlikely to return as prime minister.

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/malaysias-15th-general-elections-222-parliament-seats-up-for-grabs-534966">Malaysia's 15th General Elections: 222 Parliament seats up for grabs</a>

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Nearly 1,000 candidates will be vying for 222 seats in Parliament.

Anwar Ibrahim top PM choice: Pollster

Selangor-based Merdeka Center predicted on Friday that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s reformist Pakatan Harapan coalition was on course to take 82 seats, Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional alliance, gaining momentum among Malays at 43 seats, Ismail’s Barisan at 15 but 45 too close to call.

Anwar was the top choice for prime minister at 33 per cent, followed by Muhyiddin at 26 per cent and Ismail at 17 per cent, according to Merdeka Center.

Anwar last came close to being Prime Minister in 2020 but a power struggle in his coalition denied him the chance. His more than two decades as an opposition figure have included nine years in jail for sodomy and corruption, charges he says were politically motivated.

He was released from prison in 2018 after joining with former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, both his mentor and long-time rival, to defeat Barisan Party for the first time in Malaysia’s history amid public anger at the government over the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

That coalition collapsed after 22 months in power due to infighting over a promise by Mahathir to hand the premiership to Anwar. Muhyiddin briefly became Prime Minister&nbsp;but his administration collapsed last year, paving the way for Barisan Party's return to power with Ismail Sabri Yaakob at the helm.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Malaysians began to vote in country's general elections on Saturday after four years of political instability in Kuala Lumpur's power corridors. Three prime ministers have governed the Southeast Asian nation after last election was fought on the issue of corruption four years ago.

Malaysians began to vote in country's general elections on Saturday after four years of political instability in Kuala Lumpur's power corridors. Three prime ministers have governed the Southeast Asian nation after last election was fought on the issue of corruption four years ago. Pollsters have predicted a close contest between long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and blocs led by current Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and former PM Muhyiddin Yassin. In a staunchly battled out election campaign, issues such as corruption, climate change and the state of economy due to effects of COVID-19 pandemic remained key highlights prior to Saturday's polling. WATCH | Malaysia 15th General Elections: Polling station opens; race between three major coalitions × The politics in Malaysia has been dominated by the 2015 1MDB corruption scandal, which reportedly led to billions of dollars being embezzled out of the country. The scandal led to the ouster of former Prime Minister Najib Rajak, who is now facing a 12-year prison sentence for corruption. Frontrunners Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who came to power last year, is aiming to win a stronger mandate. However, he is seen to be losing the popularity contest to Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Pollsters say that there is strong support for former deputy Prime Minister and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. Mahathir Mohamad, who has served as Malaysian Prime Minister cumulatively for 24 years, too is seeking re-election. The 97-year-old veteran leader, was ousted as Prime Minister by his own party two years ago after becoming the country’s leader for a second time in 2018. Mahathir Mohamad will defend his stronghold seat in the resort island of Langkawi with his newly formed ethnic Malay alliance Gerakan Tanah Air, or Homeland Movement. While he is expected to win his own support, pollsters say he is unlikely to return as prime minister. WATCH | Malaysia's 15th General Elections: 222 Parliament seats up for grabs × Nearly 1,000 candidates will be vying for 222 seats in Parliament. Anwar Ibrahim top PM choice: Pollster Selangor-based Merdeka Center predicted on Friday that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s reformist Pakatan Harapan coalition was on course to take 82 seats, Muhyiddin’s Perikatan Nasional alliance, gaining momentum among Malays at 43 seats, Ismail’s Barisan at 15 but 45 too close to call. Anwar was the top choice for prime minister at 33 per cent, followed by Muhyiddin at 26 per cent and Ismail at 17 per cent, according to Merdeka Center. Anwar last came close to being Prime Minister in 2020 but a power struggle in his coalition denied him the chance. His more than two decades as an opposition figure have included nine years in jail for sodomy and corruption, charges he says were politically motivated. He was released from prison in 2018 after joining with former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, both his mentor and long-time rival, to defeat Barisan Party for the first time in Malaysia’s history amid public anger at the government over the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. That coalition collapsed after 22 months in power due to infighting over a promise by Mahathir to hand the premiership to Anwar. Muhyiddin briefly became Prime Minister but his administration collapsed last year, paving the way for Barisan Party's return to power with Ismail Sabri Yaakob at the helm. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Malaysians cast votes in general election after bitterly-contested campaign

Malaysia's embattled leader defended his actions Thursday as he faced calls to quit after rare criticism from the king, who accused his government of misleading parliament over coronavirus laws.

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin leads a scandal-plagued coalition that seized power last year without an election,&nbsp;but his government is on the verge of collapse after allies withdrew support.

Muhyiddin's government said earlier this week that on July 21 it had revoked all ordinances that had come into effect since a national state of emergency was imposed in January.

King Al-Sultan Abdullah imposed the emergency on the advice of Muhyiddin, who had said it was needed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

However, critics have slammed the move and accused the premier of trying to cling to power amid a slim majority.

In a statement on Thursday, the palace said the revocation of the ordinances was done without the king's consent and thus ran counter to the federal constitution and the principles of law.

Muhyiddin's office said his government had acted in accordance with the law and the&nbsp;Malaysian constitution.

The move comes after over a year of political upset in the Southeast Asian country following the unexpected exit of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in February 2020 amid infighting in his governing coalition.

Muhyiddin has governed with a razor-thin majority and led an unstable ruling coalition since coming to power in March 2020.

Malaysia&nbsp;is a constitutional monarchy in which the king has a largely ceremonial role, carrying out his duties on advice from the prime minister and cabinet.

Some analysts say the monarch has discretion over whether an emergency should be declared, however. Consent from the king, much revered across&nbsp;Malaysia's multi-ethnic population, is also needed to name a prime minister.

The UMNO party, the biggest bloc in the ruling alliance, called on Muhyiddin to resign for disobeying the king's decree to debate the emergency ordinances in parliament and revoking them without his consent.

UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Muhyiddin's actions were a "clear act of treason towards the King".

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he had filed a motion of no confidence against Muhyiddin, and claimed a majority of lawmakers no longer supported the prime minister.

Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government had the support of 110 of&nbsp;Malaysia's 222 parliamentarians.

(With inputs from agencies)

Malaysia's embattled leader defended his actions Thursday as he faced calls to quit after rare criticism from the king, who accused his government of misleading parliament over coronavirus laws.

Malaysia's embattled leader defended his actions Thursday as he faced calls to quit after rare criticism from the king, who accused his government of misleading parliament over coronavirus laws. Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin leads a scandal-plagued coalition that seized power last year without an election, but his government is on the verge of collapse after allies withdrew support. Muhyiddin's government said earlier this week that on July 21 it had revoked all ordinances that had come into effect since a national state of emergency was imposed in January. King Al-Sultan Abdullah imposed the emergency on the advice of Muhyiddin, who had said it was needed to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, critics have slammed the move and accused the premier of trying to cling to power amid a slim majority. In a statement on Thursday, the palace said the revocation of the ordinances was done without the king's consent and thus ran counter to the federal constitution and the principles of law. Muhyiddin's office said his government had acted in accordance with the law and the Malaysian constitution. The move comes after over a year of political upset in the Southeast Asian country following the unexpected exit of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad in February 2020 amid infighting in his governing coalition. Muhyiddin has governed with a razor-thin majority and led an unstable ruling coalition since coming to power in March 2020. Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy in which the king has a largely ceremonial role, carrying out his duties on advice from the prime minister and cabinet. Some analysts say the monarch has discretion over whether an emergency should be declared, however. Consent from the king, much revered across Malaysia's multi-ethnic population, is also needed to name a prime minister. The UMNO party, the biggest bloc in the ruling alliance, called on Muhyiddin to resign for disobeying the king's decree to debate the emergency ordinances in parliament and revoking them without his consent. UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Muhyiddin's actions were a "clear act of treason towards the King". Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he had filed a motion of no confidence against Muhyiddin, and claimed a majority of lawmakers no longer supported the prime minister. Deputy Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government had the support of 110 of Malaysia's 222 parliamentarians. (With inputs from agencies)

Malaysia: PM Muhyiddin Yassin defends himself after royal rebuke sparks calls to quit

Social networking platform Twitter on Thursday&nbsp;labelled&nbsp;Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's tweets on the France knife attack&nbsp;as glorifying violence.

French Minister&nbsp;of State for digital and telecommunications,&nbsp;Cédric O, in a conversation with Twitter's managing director in France, said that Mahathir's account must be immediately suspended.

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I just spoke with the MD of <a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterFrance?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TwitterFrance</a>. The account of <a href="https://twitter.com/chedetofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chedetofficial</a> must be immediately suspended. If not, <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@twitter</a> would be an accomplice to a formal call for murder.
— Cédric O (@cedric_o) <a href="https://twitter.com/cedric_o/status/1321814434340360194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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It comes after&nbsp;Mahathir&nbsp;made a bizarre assertion saying that Muslims had the right to be angry and to "kill millions of French people".

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/muslims-have-right-to-be-angry-and-kill-millions-of-french-people-former-malaysian-pm-mahathir-mohamad-338808" hreflang="en">Muslims have right to be angry and kill millions of French people: Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad</a>

In an apparent reference to the colonial times, Mohamad justified this 'right' by mentioning ''massacres of the past".

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12. Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past.
— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/chedetofficial/status/1321765587530338304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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He&nbsp;posted a series of 13 tweets from his personal Twitter handle and aired his opinions on issues ranging from women's clothing in western countries, West's adherence to their 'own religion', gender equality among other things and lashed out at French President Emmanuel Macron for not being "civilised" and for being "primitive" for targetting Muslims and Islam.

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But irrespective of the religion professed, angry people kill. The French in the course of their history has killed millions of people. Many were Muslims.
— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/chedetofficial/status/1321765585756192771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Following which, Twitter issued a warning that the tweets violated its guidelines about ''glorifying violence''.

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Several Muslim-majority countries have denounced remarks by French officials, including President Emmanuel Macron, defending the use of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a French school classroom. The caricatures are seen as blasphemous by Muslims.

The dispute flared after a French teacher who showed his pupils satirical cartoons of the Prophet during a civics lesson was later beheaded in the street by an attacker of Chechen origin.

French officials said the killing was an attack on the core French value of freedom of expression and defended the right to publish the cartoons. Macron has also said he would redouble efforts to stop conservative Islamic beliefs subverting French values.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ex-malaysian-pm-justifies-france-knife-attack-french-govt-asks-twitter-to-block-mahathirs-account-338900">Also watch|</a>

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&nbsp;

Social networking platform Twitter on Thursday labelled Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's tweets on the France knife attack as glorifying violence.

Social networking platform Twitter on Thursday labelled Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's tweets on the France knife attack as glorifying violence. French Minister of State for digital and telecommunications, Cédric O, in a conversation with Twitter's managing director in France, said that Mahathir's account must be immediately suspended. I just spoke with the MD of @TwitterFrance. The account of @chedetofficial must be immediately suspended. If not, @twitter would be an accomplice to a formal call for murder. — Cédric O (@cedric_o) October 29, 2020 × It comes after Mahathir made a bizarre assertion saying that Muslims had the right to be angry and to "kill millions of French people". Also read: Muslims have right to be angry and kill millions of French people: Former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad In an apparent reference to the colonial times, Mohamad justified this 'right' by mentioning ''massacres of the past". 12. Muslims have a right to be angry and to kill millions of French people for the massacres of the past. — Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) October 29, 2020 × He posted a series of 13 tweets from his personal Twitter handle and aired his opinions on issues ranging from women's clothing in western countries, West's adherence to their 'own religion', gender equality among other things and lashed out at French President Emmanuel Macron for not being "civilised" and for being "primitive" for targetting Muslims and Islam. But irrespective of the religion professed, angry people kill. The French in the course of their history has killed millions of people. Many were Muslims. — Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) October 29, 2020 × Following which, Twitter issued a warning that the tweets violated its guidelines about ''glorifying violence''. Several Muslim-majority countries have denounced remarks by French officials, including President Emmanuel Macron, defending the use of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a French school classroom. The caricatures are seen as blasphemous by Muslims. The dispute flared after a French teacher who showed his pupils satirical cartoons of the Prophet during a civics lesson was later beheaded in the street by an attacker of Chechen origin. French officials said the killing was an attack on the core French value of freedom of expression and defended the right to publish the cartoons. Macron has also said he would redouble efforts to stop conservative Islamic beliefs subverting French values. Also watch| ×

Twitter labels Mahathir's tweet on France for violating rules and 'glorifying violence'

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says he has the majority in parliament and he can topple the government. Palki Sharma Upadhyay tells you more about the latest political crisis in Malaysia.

Gravitas: Opposition claims majority in Malaysia

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad admitted in an exclusive interview to WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma that the relations between Malaysia and India deteriorated because of his comments on Kashmir.&nbsp;

"Well, it did because of my remarks on Kashmir. But, other than that the relationship was very good, even under my leadership," Mahathir said when asked whether the relations between both countries were hit.&nbsp;

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"It is not about supporting Pakistan, it is about the people of Kashmir...": Former Malaysian PM <a href="https://twitter.com/chedetofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chedetofficial</a> talks to <a href="https://twitter.com/palkisu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@palkisu</a> on his controversial remarks on Jammu and Kashmir<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MahathirMohamadOnWION?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MahathirMohamadOnWION</a> <a href="https://t.co/juoGkmyyu2">pic.twitter.com/juoGkmyyu2</a>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1291746418198065153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-making-claims-in-south-china-sea-but-we-cannot-go-to-war-says-mahathir-mohamad-to-wion-318909">China making claims in South China Sea but we cannot go to war, says Mahathir Mohamad to WION</a>

The former&nbsp; Malaysian prime minister added&nbsp;that traditionally the relations with India have "been very good".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/would-like-to-send-zakir-naik-to-some-country-where-he-will-be-safe-says-mahathir-mohamad-to-wion-318916">Would like to send Zakir Naik to some country where he will be safe, says Mahathir Mohamad to WION</a>

"As you know we have a lot of people of Indian origin here in Malaysia and they still have connections in India."

However, the ex-PM said "some minor glitches" affected the relations, but, "very quickly we overcome such strains in our relationship".

He also hinted towards&nbsp;good relations with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his former counterpart was one of the earlier PMs who called him up when he won his second term.&nbsp;

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"In many ways he has done well internationally but then of course we need to understand India better under Modi because he is different from previous prime ministers," says <a href="https://twitter.com/chedetofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chedetofficial</a> on India's role at the world stage under PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MahathirMohamadOnWION?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MahathirMohamadOnWION</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/palkisu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@palkisu</a> <a href="https://t.co/xsNGVGee7y">pic.twitter.com/xsNGVGee7y</a>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1291751451824230401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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"Apparently, we had met a long time ago, although I had forgotten and he was able to show a picture of us together from a long time ago, before he became the prime minister," Mahathir said.

"Well, we always want to maintain good relations, whoever may be the prime minister of India, it’s not something that we should take into consideration. Whoever is the prime minister we will develop good relations with the prime minister."

On his comments on Kashmir, he said he was speaking on events all over the world where some wrongs have been committed.&nbsp;

"It is not about supporting Pakistan, it is about the people of Kashmir," he added.&nbsp;

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad admitted in an exclusive interview to WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma that the relations between Malaysia and India deteriorated because of his comments on Kashmir.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad admitted in an exclusive interview to WION's Executive Editor Palki Sharma that the relations between Malaysia and India deteriorated because of his comments on Kashmir. "Well, it did because of my remarks on Kashmir. But, other than that the relationship was very good, even under my leadership," Mahathir said when asked whether the relations between both countries were hit. "It is not about supporting Pakistan, it is about the people of Kashmir...": Former Malaysian PM @chedetofficial talks to @palkisu on his controversial remarks on Jammu and Kashmir#MahathirMohamadOnWION pic.twitter.com/juoGkmyyu2 — WION (@WIONews) August 7, 2020 × Also read | China making claims in South China Sea but we cannot go to war, says Mahathir Mohamad to WION The former Malaysian prime minister added that traditionally the relations with India have "been very good". Also read | Would like to send Zakir Naik to some country where he will be safe, says Mahathir Mohamad to WION "As you know we have a lot of people of Indian origin here in Malaysia and they still have connections in India." However, the ex-PM said "some minor glitches" affected the relations, but, "very quickly we overcome such strains in our relationship". He also hinted towards good relations with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his former counterpart was one of the earlier PMs who called him up when he won his second term. "In many ways he has done well internationally but then of course we need to understand India better under Modi because he is different from previous prime ministers," says @chedetofficial on India's role at the world stage under PM @narendramodi#MahathirMohamadOnWION @palkisu pic.twitter.com/xsNGVGee7y — WION (@WIONews) August 7, 2020 × "Apparently, we had met a long time ago, although I had forgotten and he was able to show a picture of us together from a long time ago, before he became the prime minister," Mahathir said. "Well, we always want to maintain good relations, whoever may be the prime minister of India, it’s not something that we should take into consideration. Whoever is the prime minister we will develop good relations with the prime minister." On his comments on Kashmir, he said he was speaking on events all over the world where some wrongs have been committed. "It is not about supporting Pakistan, it is about the people of Kashmir," he added.

EXCLUSIVE: Ex-PM Mahathir admits his comments on Kashmir strained India-Malaysia ties

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad is often blamed for ruining the bilateral ties between his country and India.

In December last year, he slammed India by questioning the necessity of the the Indian Citizenship (Amendment) Act&nbsp;at Kuala Lumpur summit in Malaysia.

Indian foreign ministry had hit&nbsp;back by rejecting all claims and said that the&nbsp;Indian citizenship law was India's internal matter.&nbsp;

Mahathir went&nbsp;out of his way to take on India, merely to&nbsp;impress Pakistan.

As a result, India&nbsp;imposed&nbsp;a de facto ban on palm oil imports from Malaysia over a diplomatic row.&nbsp;In January this year, Malaysia palm oil export to india tanked 85 per cent&nbsp;year-on-year, the lowest since 2011.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-imposes-new-curbs-on-malaysia-as-mahathir-mohamad-continues-to-comment-on-caa-274344">India plans to impose new curbs on Malaysia as Mahathir Mohamad continues to comment on CAA</a>

The country's government&nbsp;also&nbsp;confined import of microchips amid signs that the trade issue was probably not going to be sifted through soon as the Southeast Asian country kept&nbsp;on irritating India over Kashmir and the Citizenship (Amendment Act).

But a month later, the political dynamic in Malaysia changed. Mahathir Mohamad resigned as Malaysia's prime minister in February this year.

The country is currently being headed by Muhyiddin Yassin. This has brought positive changes in&nbsp;rebuilding India-Malaysia bilateral ties.

For starters, the two countries are engaging with each other. India's external affairs minsiter S.Jaishankar spoke to his Malaysian counterpart after the Yassin government took charge.

India's high commissioner to Malaysia Mridul Kumar has held several rounds of talks with Malaysian foreign minister Hisha-Muddin. The Indian envoy was the first foreign official that he received on taking office.

On the trade front,&nbsp;India resumed the import of Malaysian palm oil in May this year. India also increased imports of rice, sugar and high-speed diesel.

New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur have been working closely through the Wuhan virus pandemic.

India's Vande Vharat flights have brought back at least 7000 Indians from Malaysia. India is also exporting hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol to malaysia.

On August 5, the&nbsp;anniversary of the abrogation of article 370, under&nbsp;Yassin's leadership,&nbsp;Malaysia refrained from making any comment despite the fact that its&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;tried&nbsp;its best to rake the issue of Kashmir.

Therefore, it can be said that there has been a noticeable change in Malaysia's attitude towards India. But the elephant in the room, that is Zakir Naik, remains unaddressed.

Naik is accused of terrorism, hate speech and money laundering but the man is still hiding in Malaysia.

India sent a formal extradition request on May 14 this year. But the response from Malaysia has not been positive.

So, going forward, if Yassin wants to continue improving ties with India. He must cooperate with New Delhi in Naik's extradition.

If Malaysia agrees to send the Naik back to India, that will be a defining moment in the India-Malaysia ties.

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad is often blamed for ruining the bilateral ties between his country and India. In December last year, he slammed India by questioning the necessity of the the Indian Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Kuala Lumpur summit in Malaysia.

Former Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad is often blamed for ruining the bilateral ties between his country and India. In December last year, he slammed India by questioning the necessity of the the Indian Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Kuala Lumpur summit in Malaysia. Indian foreign ministry had hit back by rejecting all claims and said that the Indian citizenship law was India's internal matter. Mahathir went out of his way to take on India, merely to impress Pakistan. As a result, India imposed a de facto ban on palm oil imports from Malaysia over a diplomatic row. In January this year, Malaysia palm oil export to india tanked 85 per cent year-on-year, the lowest since 2011. Also read: India plans to impose new curbs on Malaysia as Mahathir Mohamad continues to comment on CAA The country's government also confined import of microchips amid signs that the trade issue was probably not going to be sifted through soon as the Southeast Asian country kept on irritating India over Kashmir and the Citizenship (Amendment Act). But a month later, the political dynamic in Malaysia changed. Mahathir Mohamad resigned as Malaysia's prime minister in February this year. The country is currently being headed by Muhyiddin Yassin. This has brought positive changes in rebuilding India-Malaysia bilateral ties. For starters, the two countries are engaging with each other. India's external affairs minsiter S.Jaishankar spoke to his Malaysian counterpart after the Yassin government took charge. India's high commissioner to Malaysia Mridul Kumar has held several rounds of talks with Malaysian foreign minister Hisha-Muddin. The Indian envoy was the first foreign official that he received on taking office. On the trade front, India resumed the import of Malaysian palm oil in May this year. India also increased imports of rice, sugar and high-speed diesel. New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur have been working closely through the Wuhan virus pandemic. India's Vande Vharat flights have brought back at least 7000 Indians from Malaysia. India is also exporting hydroxychloroquine and paracetamol to malaysia. On August 5, the anniversary of the abrogation of article 370, under Yassin's leadership, Malaysia refrained from making any comment despite the fact that its Pakistan tried its best to rake the issue of Kashmir. Therefore, it can be said that there has been a noticeable change in Malaysia's attitude towards India. But the elephant in the room, that is Zakir Naik, remains unaddressed. Naik is accused of terrorism, hate speech and money laundering but the man is still hiding in Malaysia. India sent a formal extradition request on May 14 this year. But the response from Malaysia has not been positive. So, going forward, if Yassin wants to continue improving ties with India. He must cooperate with New Delhi in Naik's extradition. If Malaysia agrees to send the Naik back to India, that will be a defining moment in the India-Malaysia ties.

How India-Malaysia ties have transformed since Mahathir's departure

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Hours after Malaysia's change of leadership at the weekend, former prime minister Najib Razak posted a picture of himself smiling and giving a thumbs up on social media.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">It was tagged as a gesture of satisfaction with a restaurant meal, but many Malaysians saw it as a bigger sign of happiness from a man who was driven from office in 2018 and is now on trial for corruption over the multi-billion 1MDB fund scandal.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/muhyiddin-yassin-sworn-in-as-new-prime-minister-of-malaysia-283533">Muhyiddin Yassin sworn-in as new prime minister of Malaysia </a>

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">With the return of Najib's party to power after a week of political turmoil, and therefore being in a position to influence policy, some Malaysians were questioning whether it will affect the handling of the high profile trials.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Mahathir Mohamad, who was ousted as prime minister in last week's realignments, accused Najib and his party of engineering last week's political crisis to help them avoid conviction.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">"If Najib can be part of the government now, he can do all sorts of things to free himself," the 94-year-old told a meeting with his party’s youth members on Sunday.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/as-palm-row-simmers-india-says-no-meeting-with-malaysia-in-davos-275314">As palm row simmers, India says no meeting with Malaysia in Davos</a>

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Cynthia Gabriel, director of the Kuala Lumpur-based anti-corruption watchdog C4 Center, said: "The worst case scenario is that these grand corruption trials will be dropped through judicial interference and more."

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Najib has said he hopes to continue to fight his case in court.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">In his first message, new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said fighting corruption would be a priority for his government, whose biggest backer in parliament is Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The prime minister made no specific mention of the trials.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Muhyiddin took over on Sunday from Mahathir, who had ousted UMNO in 2018 amid anger over the 1MDB scandal that stretched from Malaysia to the Middle East to Hollywood. Najib, his wife, UMNO's leader and others were quickly put on trial for corruption.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The US Department of Justice estimates $4.5 billion was misappropriated from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign fund between 2009 and 2014 US and Malaysian authorities say over $1 billion stolen from 1MDB flowed into Najib's personal banks accounts.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">The case has also led to scrutiny of Goldman Sachs, which Malaysia has accused of misleading investors over bond sales totalling $6.5 billion that the bank helped raise for 1MDB. Three units of the bank have pleaded not guilty.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Najib is facing five trials, the first of which - involving seven charges linked to $10 million misappropriated from a 1MDB unit - is expected to reach a verdict within months.

<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 16, 16); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">He has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying he was misled by Malaysian financier Jho Low and other 1MDB officials.

Hours after Malaysia's change of leadership at the weekend, former prime minister Najib Razak posted a picture of himself smiling and giving a thumbs up on social media.

Hours after Malaysia's change of leadership at the weekend, former prime minister Najib Razak posted a picture of himself smiling and giving a thumbs up on social media. It was tagged as a gesture of satisfaction with a restaurant meal, but many Malaysians saw it as a bigger sign of happiness from a man who was driven from office in 2018 and is now on trial for corruption over the multi-billion 1MDB fund scandal. Also read: Muhyiddin Yassin sworn-in as new prime minister of Malaysia With the return of Najib's party to power after a week of political turmoil, and therefore being in a position to influence policy, some Malaysians were questioning whether it will affect the handling of the high profile trials. Mahathir Mohamad, who was ousted as prime minister in last week's realignments, accused Najib and his party of engineering last week's political crisis to help them avoid conviction. "If Najib can be part of the government now, he can do all sorts of things to free himself," the 94-year-old told a meeting with his party’s youth members on Sunday. Also read: As palm row simmers, India says no meeting with Malaysia in Davos Cynthia Gabriel, director of the Kuala Lumpur-based anti-corruption watchdog C4 Center, said: "The worst case scenario is that these grand corruption trials will be dropped through judicial interference and more." Najib has said he hopes to continue to fight his case in court. In his first message, new Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said fighting corruption would be a priority for his government, whose biggest backer in parliament is Najib's United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The prime minister made no specific mention of the trials. Muhyiddin took over on Sunday from Mahathir, who had ousted UMNO in 2018 amid anger over the 1MDB scandal that stretched from Malaysia to the Middle East to Hollywood. Najib, his wife, UMNO's leader and others were quickly put on trial for corruption. The US Department of Justice estimates $4.5 billion was misappropriated from Malaysia's 1MDB sovereign fund between 2009 and 2014 US and Malaysian authorities say over $1 billion stolen from 1MDB flowed into Najib's personal banks accounts. The case has also led to scrutiny of Goldman Sachs, which Malaysia has accused of misleading investors over bond sales totalling $6.5 billion that the bank helped raise for 1MDB. Three units of the bank have pleaded not guilty. Najib is facing five trials, the first of which - involving seven charges linked to $10 million misappropriated from a 1MDB unit - is expected to reach a verdict within months. He has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying he was misled by Malaysian financier Jho Low and other 1MDB officials.

After Malaysia's political turmoil, questions over trials in 1MDB scandal

India's trade minister will not meet with his Malaysian counterpart in Davos next week because of his tight schedule, an Indian trade ministry official said on Sunday, as a spat simmers between the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/malaysian-pm-expresses-concern-after-india-puts-curbs-on-palm-oil-imports-274231">top buyer of palm oil and its biggest supplier</a>.

Hindu-majority India has repeatedly objected to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaking out against a new citizenship law which critics say discriminate against Muslims.

Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation, is the second biggest producer and exporter of palm oil and India's restrictions on the refined variety of the commodity imposed last week have been seen as a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-puts-curbs-on-palm-oil-imports-from-malaysia-following-pm-mahathir-mohamad-caa-remark-273134">retaliation for Mahathir's criticism of New Delhi</a>.

A Malaysian government spokesman said on Friday that trade ministers from India and Malaysia could meet on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos.

But the Indian trade ministry official, who said he was speaking on behalf of the ministry, said no meeting was planned between India's Piyush Goyal and Malaysia's Darell Leiking.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-palm-import-curbs-to-start-malaysia-indonesia-price-war-souces-273149">India palm import curbs to start Malaysia, Indonesia price war</a>

"I can tell you fair and square there's no meeting between the Malaysian minister and the Indian trade minister at Davos," he said, asking not to be named as he was not a government spokesman.

"As part of a larger meeting of trade ministers they may be both together, but there's no meeting. The schedule is already finalised, and it's full."

India last week imposed curbs on refined palm oil, which a source in New Delhi with direct knowledge of the matter said could be used to deny or delay imports from Malaysia. India has been Malaysia's top palm market for five years.

The row dragged benchmark Malaysian palm futures to their biggest weekly decline in more than 11 years on Friday.

Malaysia's Leiking has sent a message to Goyal wishing him well for the Davos meeting, according to the message reviewed by Reuters.

Spokespeople for the trade ministries of India and Malaysia did not immediately respond to queries from Reuters.

Mahathir, the world's oldest premier at 94 and one of the Muslim world's biggest voices, has said he would continue to speak out against "wrong things" even if his words cost his country financially.

"Why is he harming his own country by his erratic actions?" the Indian official said, referring to Mahathir. "The comments he's making are very unprecedented."

Responding to a question on India's new religion-based citizenship law, Mahathir said last month the country was trying to "deprive some Muslims of their citizenship". At the U.N. General Assembly in September, he said India had "invaded and occupied" Kashmir, a disputed Muslim-majority region also claimed by Pakistan.

India's trade minister will not meet with his Malaysian counterpart in Davos next week because of his tight schedule, an Indian trade ministry official said on Sunday, as a spat simmers between the top buyer of palm oil and its biggest supplier.

India's trade minister will not meet with his Malaysian counterpart in Davos next week because of his tight schedule, an Indian trade ministry official said on Sunday, as a spat simmers between the top buyer of palm oil and its biggest supplier. Hindu-majority India has repeatedly objected to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad speaking out against a new citizenship law which critics say discriminate against Muslims. Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation, is the second biggest producer and exporter of palm oil and India's restrictions on the refined variety of the commodity imposed last week have been seen as a retaliation for Mahathir's criticism of New Delhi. A Malaysian government spokesman said on Friday that trade ministers from India and Malaysia could meet on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos. But the Indian trade ministry official, who said he was speaking on behalf of the ministry, said no meeting was planned between India's Piyush Goyal and Malaysia's Darell Leiking. Also read: India palm import curbs to start Malaysia, Indonesia price war "I can tell you fair and square there's no meeting between the Malaysian minister and the Indian trade minister at Davos," he said, asking not to be named as he was not a government spokesman. "As part of a larger meeting of trade ministers they may be both together, but there's no meeting. The schedule is already finalised, and it's full." India last week imposed curbs on refined palm oil, which a source in New Delhi with direct knowledge of the matter said could be used to deny or delay imports from Malaysia. India has been Malaysia's top palm market for five years. The row dragged benchmark Malaysian palm futures to their biggest weekly decline in more than 11 years on Friday. Malaysia's Leiking has sent a message to Goyal wishing him well for the Davos meeting, according to the message reviewed by Reuters. Spokespeople for the trade ministries of India and Malaysia did not immediately respond to queries from Reuters. Mahathir, the world's oldest premier at 94 and one of the Muslim world's biggest voices, has said he would continue to speak out against "wrong things" even if his words cost his country financially. "Why is he harming his own country by his erratic actions?" the Indian official said, referring to Mahathir. "The comments he's making are very unprecedented." Responding to a question on India's new religion-based citizenship law, Mahathir said last month the country was trying to "deprive some Muslims of their citizenship". At the U.N. General Assembly in September, he said India had "invaded and occupied" Kashmir, a disputed Muslim-majority region also claimed by Pakistan.

As palm row simmers, India says no meeting with Malaysia in Davos

India, Malaysia ties&nbsp;are likely to take a hit with New Delhi deciding to put curbs on palm oil imports from Malaysia.

The move follows Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad's comments on the Citizenship Amendment Act.&nbsp;

India will now be urging Indonesia for more oil imports, a move that is likely to spark a price war between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.&nbsp;

India's curb on palm oil imports will also result in a loss of market share for Malaysia.&nbsp;

Last month, as per reports, the Malaysian PM during a summit in Kuala Lumpur made comments on the CAA, criticising the new citizenship law and questioning its "necessity".&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/caa-fallout-member-of-malaysian-central-government-coalition-says-pm-mahathir-has-overreacted-269450">CAA fallout: Member of Malaysian central government coalition says PM Mahathir has overreacted</a>

New Delhi reacted to Mohamed's comments with the Ministry of External Affairs issuing a statement on the same.&nbsp;

The MEA called Mohamad's remarks as "factually inaccurate" and said that the Malaysian Prime Minister, "has yet again remarked on a matter that is entirely internal to India," the statement read.

The statement further added that the new law is to provide citizenship to the "persecuted minorities from three countries" and that it does not impact any Indian citizen.&nbsp;

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/factually-inaccurate-india-slams-malaysian-pms-remarks-on-caa-269407">Factually inaccurate: India slams Malaysian PM's remarks on CAA&nbsp;</a>

"The Citizenship Amendment Act provides for citizenship through naturalization to be fast-tracked for non-citizens who are persecuted minorities from three countries. The Act 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," the MEA release read.

New Delhi also asked Malaysia "to refrain from commenting on internal developments in India, especially without a right understanding of the facts".

India, Malaysia ties are likely to take a hit with New Delhi deciding to put curbs on palm oil imports from Malaysia. The move follows Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad's comments on the Citizenship Amendment Act.

India, Malaysia ties are likely to take a hit with New Delhi deciding to put curbs on palm oil imports from Malaysia. The move follows Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad's comments on the Citizenship Amendment Act. India will now be urging Indonesia for more oil imports, a move that is likely to spark a price war between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. India's curb on palm oil imports will also result in a loss of market share for Malaysia. Last month, as per reports, the Malaysian PM during a summit in Kuala Lumpur made comments on the CAA, criticising the new citizenship law and questioning its "necessity". Also read: CAA fallout: Member of Malaysian central government coalition says PM Mahathir has overreacted New Delhi reacted to Mohamed's comments with the Ministry of External Affairs issuing a statement on the same. The MEA called Mohamad's remarks as "factually inaccurate" and said that the Malaysian Prime Minister, "has yet again remarked on a matter that is entirely internal to India," the statement read. The statement further added that the new law is to provide citizenship to the "persecuted minorities from three countries" and that it does not impact any Indian citizen. Read more: Factually inaccurate: India slams Malaysian PM's remarks on CAA "The Citizenship Amendment Act provides for citizenship through naturalization to be fast-tracked for non-citizens who are persecuted minorities from three countries. The Act 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," the MEA release read. New Delhi also asked Malaysia "to refrain from commenting on internal developments in India, especially without a right understanding of the facts".

India puts curbs on palm oil imports from Malaysia following PM Mahathir Mohamad's CAA remark

Black-listed Zakir Naik refuged by Malaysia. He was spotted at Malaysia summit and shook hand with Malaysian PM Mahathir Bin Mohamad as well. Zakir Naik is basically blacklisted for his hate speeches. #ZakirNaik #HateSpeeches #Malaysia

Black-listed Zakir Naik refuged by Malaysia, spotted at Malaysia summit

Malaysia's government will discuss a depreciation of the ringgit that is making imports more expensive and raising living costs, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Saturday, addressing one of the biggest criticisms of his administration.

The Malaysian ringgit fell for a third straight week this week.

"Previously, our currency was quoted at 3.80 against the US&nbsp;dollar, but now it is at 4.20. Due to our currency's value, everything that we buy has become more expensive," Mahathir told reporters when asked about high cost of basic necessities.

"This is one of the reasons. We will discuss this problem in the government."

The 94-year leader, who took office in May 2018 after unexpectedly winning a general election, said last week he was considering a cabinet reshuffle after the ruling coalition badly lost a by-election hit by voter discontentment over issues such as high living costs and the economy.

Southeast Asia's third-largest economy grew at its weakest pace in a year in the third quarter, hit by sharp falls in exports and mining.

Malaysia's government will discuss a depreciation of the ringgit that is making imports more expensive and raising living costs, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Saturday, addressing one of the biggest criticisms of his administration.

Malaysia's government will discuss a depreciation of the ringgit that is making imports more expensive and raising living costs, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Saturday, addressing one of the biggest criticisms of his administration. The Malaysian ringgit fell for a third straight week this week. "Previously, our currency was quoted at 3.80 against the US dollar, but now it is at 4.20. Due to our currency's value, everything that we buy has become more expensive," Mahathir told reporters when asked about high cost of basic necessities. "This is one of the reasons. We will discuss this problem in the government." The 94-year leader, who took office in May 2018 after unexpectedly winning a general election, said last week he was considering a cabinet reshuffle after the ruling coalition badly lost a by-election hit by voter discontentment over issues such as high living costs and the economy. Southeast Asia's third-largest economy grew at its weakest pace in a year in the third quarter, hit by sharp falls in exports and mining.

Malaysia to examine ringgit's fall as import costs sting: Mahathir

Southeast Asian countries must stick together in the face of a trade war started by U.S. President Donald Trump, Malaysia's veteran leader said on Saturday at the start of a regional summit held in the shadow of US-China tensions.

But as leaders of the 10 member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Bangkok, there was no sign they had yet finalized a planned trade deal backed by China that could create the world's biggest free trade area.

"We don't want to go into a trade war. But sometimes when they’re not nice to us, we will not be nice to them," Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's outspoken 94-year-old prime minister told a business summit on the sidelines of the main meeting.

In an obvious reference to Trump, whose administration began raising tariffs on Chinese imports with the goal of reducing the US&nbsp;trade deficit, Mahathir said: "If the person is not there, maybe there will be a change."

A draft final statement for the ASEAN summit seen by Reuters said the leaders would express "deep concern over the rising trade tensions and on-going protectionist and anti-globalization sentiments."

Trade would be the main topic, diplomats said, with little discussion expected on perennial regional problems such as maritime disputes with China over the South China Sea and the plight of Rohingya refugees driven from Myanmar.

“We want global economic peace," said Arin Jira, chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, a body set up by member states.

Export reliant Southeast Asian states are at the sharp end of the trade war, with growth expected to slow to its lowest in five years this year. They are also worried about increasing Chinese influence in a region whose population of more than 620 million is still less than half of China's.

Downgrade

The United States, an important trade partner, is sending a delegation to the meetings. But the downgrading of its delegation compared to those in previous years and to those of other countries has concerned those who saw Washington as a security counterweight to Beijing.

Instead of President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence, the United States will be represented by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien. China is sending its premier, Li Keqiang.

"This signals that the US&nbsp;is a lesser player in our area," Kantathi Suphamongkhon, former Thai foreign minister told Reuters.

Southeast Asian states had hoped to make progress towards finalising the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) - comprising 16 countries that account for a third of global gross domestic product and nearly half the world’s population.

But that was unclear after a scheduled news conference was cancelled late on Friday. A major sticking point has been demands from India, which is worried about a potential flood of Chinese imports.

"The finalization of the RCEP negotiation has become a key test for ASEAN's capacity to deliver on its often-cited centrality," Marty Natalegawa, a former Indonesian foreign minister, told Reuters.

Human rights groups said they did not expect the Southeast Asian countries would do much to address problems such as the Rohingya refugees or discuss questions such as the growing authoritarianism in some member states.

“ASEAN will go far. ASEAN will endure," was the jingle played repeatedly on the conference sound system. “Our neighbourhood becomes a brotherhood,” it said.

&nbsp;

Southeast Asian countries must stick together in the face of a trade war started by U.S. President Donald Trump, Malaysia's veteran leader said on Saturday at the start of a regional summit held in the shadow of US-China tensions.

Southeast Asian countries must stick together in the face of a trade war started by U.S. President Donald Trump, Malaysia's veteran leader said on Saturday at the start of a regional summit held in the shadow of US-China tensions. But as leaders of the 10 member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Bangkok, there was no sign they had yet finalized a planned trade deal backed by China that could create the world's biggest free trade area. "We don't want to go into a trade war. But sometimes when they’re not nice to us, we will not be nice to them," Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia's outspoken 94-year-old prime minister told a business summit on the sidelines of the main meeting. In an obvious reference to Trump, whose administration began raising tariffs on Chinese imports with the goal of reducing the US trade deficit, Mahathir said: "If the person is not there, maybe there will be a change." A draft final statement for the ASEAN summit seen by Reuters said the leaders would express "deep concern over the rising trade tensions and on-going protectionist and anti-globalization sentiments." Trade would be the main topic, diplomats said, with little discussion expected on perennial regional problems such as maritime disputes with China over the South China Sea and the plight of Rohingya refugees driven from Myanmar. “We want global economic peace," said Arin Jira, chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, a body set up by member states. Export reliant Southeast Asian states are at the sharp end of the trade war, with growth expected to slow to its lowest in five years this year. They are also worried about increasing Chinese influence in a region whose population of more than 620 million is still less than half of China's. Downgrade The United States, an important trade partner, is sending a delegation to the meetings. But the downgrading of its delegation compared to those in previous years and to those of other countries has concerned those who saw Washington as a security counterweight to Beijing. Instead of President Donald Trump or Vice President Mike Pence, the United States will be represented by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien. China is sending its premier, Li Keqiang. "This signals that the US is a lesser player in our area," Kantathi Suphamongkhon, former Thai foreign minister told Reuters. Southeast Asian states had hoped to make progress towards finalising the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) - comprising 16 countries that account for a third of global gross domestic product and nearly half the world’s population. But that was unclear after a scheduled news conference was cancelled late on Friday. A major sticking point has been demands from India, which is worried about a potential flood of Chinese imports. "The finalization of the RCEP negotiation has become a key test for ASEAN's capacity to deliver on its often-cited centrality," Marty Natalegawa, a former Indonesian foreign minister, told Reuters. Human rights groups said they did not expect the Southeast Asian countries would do much to address problems such as the Rohingya refugees or discuss questions such as the growing authoritarianism in some member states. “ASEAN will go far. ASEAN will endure," was the jingle played repeatedly on the conference sound system. “Our neighbourhood becomes a brotherhood,” it said.

Southeast Asian leaders meet under US-China trade war cloud

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits India Business Pavilion at Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Watch this video to know more.

PM Modi visits India Business Pavilion at Eastern Economic Forum

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ahead-to-day-2-of-packed-russia-visit-pm-modi-holds-talks-with-japanese-malaysian-counterparts-247669">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> and Malaysian PM Mahathir bin Mohamad met on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok during which the former raised the issue of Zakir Naik's extradition and also discussed the need for legislative changes to Jammu and Kashmir.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, "PM Modi raised the issue of Zakir Naik and both sides decided that officials will keep in touch regarding it and it's an important issue for New Delhi".

New Delhi has sent an extradition request to Malaysia but no action has been taken by Kuala Lumpur. India-born Zakir Naik is wanted in India and is known for his hate speeches. In 2017, India had revoked his passport and declared him an offender. He currently resides in Malaysia which has given him a PR-Permanent Resident status. There is now growing criticism of Naik in Malaysia as well where he has been involved in hate speeches against minority Hindu population.

Removing the special status for Jammu and Kashmir was another key point that was discussed. "The rationale behind the reorganisation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir" will give "effective governance and socio-economic" development to the region, the prime minister told his Malaysian counterpart.

Terror was also discussed and "how to cope with the growing global terror". Mahathir acknowledged that "terror is a global problem" and "terrorism in any form is something Malaysia is against", Gokhale said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Malaysian PM Mahathir bin Mohamad met on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok during which the former raised the issue of Zakir Naik's extradition and also discussed the need for legislative changes to Jammu and Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Malaysian PM Mahathir bin Mohamad met on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok during which the former raised the issue of Zakir Naik's extradition and also discussed the need for legislative changes to Jammu and Kashmir. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, "PM Modi raised the issue of Zakir Naik and both sides decided that officials will keep in touch regarding it and it's an important issue for New Delhi". New Delhi has sent an extradition request to Malaysia but no action has been taken by Kuala Lumpur. India-born Zakir Naik is wanted in India and is known for his hate speeches. In 2017, India had revoked his passport and declared him an offender. He currently resides in Malaysia which has given him a PR-Permanent Resident status. There is now growing criticism of Naik in Malaysia as well where he has been involved in hate speeches against minority Hindu population. Removing the special status for Jammu and Kashmir was another key point that was discussed. "The rationale behind the reorganisation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir" will give "effective governance and socio-economic" development to the region, the prime minister told his Malaysian counterpart. Terror was also discussed and "how to cope with the growing global terror". Mahathir acknowledged that "terror is a global problem" and "terrorism in any form is something Malaysia is against", Gokhale said.

Modi-Mahathir meet: Zakir Naik, revocation of Article 370 discussed

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the sidelines of the India-Russia Summit and Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), held bilaterals with world leaders including Japanese and Malaysian counterparts and the president of Mongolia. Watch this video to know more.

PM Modi discusses trade, Zakir Naik's extradition with Malaysian PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, on day 2 of his 36-hour short visit to Russia. The meeting comes after the world leaders interacted at the G-20 Summit in Japan's Osaka and G7 Summit in France's Biarritz. PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with HE Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, and President of Mongolia HE Khaltmaagiin Battulga.

PM Modi to meet Malaysian President shortly

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at the Plenary Session of 5th Eastern Economic Forum, in Vladivostok. PM Modi said, The relation of India & Far East is not new but ages old. India is the 1st country which opened its consulate in Vladivostok.

PM Modi speaks at Eastern Economic Forum

India has strongly dismissed reports in the Pakistani media that it denied Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad the right to fly over India during his recent visit to Pakistan. Indian government sources said the reports were "false and motivated."

Mohamad had been chief guest at Pakistan's National Day on February 23.&nbsp;

WION has learnt that the Malaysian PM had to take a longer route to Pakistan despite the Directorate General of Civil Aviation saying he could fly over India since Pakistan had blocked its airspace to flights overflying India.

The government sources told WION that it was strange that Pakistan did not make an exception even for the chief guest of their National Day, thereby forcing him to fly a longer route.&nbsp;

The Indian Air Force had on February 26 conducted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/iaf-operation-in-balakot-india-calls-pakistans-nuclear-bluff-199844">an air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakot</a> in the Khyber Pakhtunwa province. The air strike was in retaliation for the February 14 suicide attack on a security convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama which left <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/awantipora-crpf-convoy-hit-by-explosives-laden-vehicle-several-jawans-killed-197418">over 40 CRPF personnel dead</a>.&nbsp;

A day later, on February 27,&nbsp;the Pakistan Air Force dropped bombs on Indian territory from its side of the Line of Control.

Pakistan said the bombs were aimed at displaying its "deterrence capabilities". India says the bombs were aimed at military installations but that they missed their targets.&nbsp;

Pakistan's airspace has remained partially closed since February 27. And the country's civil aviation authority has since then denied permission to planes overflying India to enter Pakistani airspace, including apparently that of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.&nbsp;

India has strongly dismissed reports in the Pakistani media that it denied Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad the right to fly over India during his recent visit to Pakistan.

India has strongly dismissed reports in the Pakistani media that it denied Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad the right to fly over India during his recent visit to Pakistan. Indian government sources said the reports were "false and motivated." Mohamad had been chief guest at Pakistan's National Day on February 23. WION has learnt that the Malaysian PM had to take a longer route to Pakistan despite the Directorate General of Civil Aviation saying he could fly over India since Pakistan had blocked its airspace to flights overflying India. The government sources told WION that it was strange that Pakistan did not make an exception even for the chief guest of their National Day, thereby forcing him to fly a longer route. The Indian Air Force had on February 26 conducted an air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan's Balakot in the Khyber Pakhtunwa province. The air strike was in retaliation for the February 14 suicide attack on a security convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama which left over 40 CRPF personnel dead. A day later, on February 27, the Pakistan Air Force dropped bombs on Indian territory from its side of the Line of Control. Pakistan said the bombs were aimed at displaying its "deterrence capabilities". India says the bombs were aimed at military installations but that they missed their targets. Pakistan's airspace has remained partially closed since February 27. And the country's civil aviation authority has since then denied permission to planes overflying India to enter Pakistani airspace, including apparently that of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

Did not deny Malaysia PM Mahathir Bin Mohamad right to fly over India: Government sources