- Malaysia’s Ambassador to Russia Bala Chandran Tharman was quoted by a foreign news outlet in an interview last month noting that Malaysia would “consider any request” from Moscow for the sale of semiconductors.
- Malaysian officials reckon that “a few things Bala mentioned in the interview were taken out of context”.
- Should the statement by Bala be true, experts reckon that Malaysia can be blacklisted for breaching the Western-backed sanctions and IP rights.
Since President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia ordered troops to invade Ukraine in the end of February this year, there have been wide-ranging international sanctions imposed by the United States (US) and its allies. The sanctions announced were designed to damage Russia’s economy and penalize Putin in particular, who so far, have appeared unperturbed. While the list of countries against the invasion are fairly long, there are also
a few nations supporting Russia either directly or indirectly — and it appears that Malaysia is neither here nor there about their stand.
A quick recap would show how the multi pronged invasion that began on February 21 had prompted the West to widen its efforts to crack down on Russia. From targeting Putin’s top allies, to limiting the country’s banking system and its
access to crucial technology, Russia has been facing deepening isolation and economic turmoil.
However, for a country like Malaysia, sanctions on any country are only recognized if it is a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, according to the country’s foreign minister Saifuddin Abdullah. “This has always been Malaysia’s principle. If there is a sanction it has to go through the UN, and if the resolution is passed by the UN then as a member of the UN you have to respect and abide by it,” he told local media in an interview last week.
