Malaysia rejects Pakistan’s religion card, clears India’s Operation Sindoor events

In a clear diplomatic rebuke, Malaysia has rejected Pakistan’s desperate attempts to derail India’s Operation Sindoor outreach programmes on its soil, according to media reports.

Despite Pakistan’s brazen plea, couched in religious terms, the Malaysian government refused to bow to Islamabad’s pressure and allowed the nine-member Indian delegation led by Sanjay Jha to proceed with all ten scheduled events.

This development marks a significant setback for Pakistan, which has increasingly resorted to playing the “religion card” in its futile efforts to isolate India internationally.

Islamabad’s embassy in Kuala Lumpur reportedly urged Malaysian officials to cancel the Indian programmes, appealing to shared Islamic ties and asking, “We are an Islamic country, you are an Islamic country… don’t listen to the Indian delegation, cancel all their programmes in Malaysia.”

However, Malaysia decisively turned down these divisive tactics, highlighting its commitment to diplomacy and respect for sovereign decisions.

The government allowed the Indian delegation to organise all ten outreach events, signaling that Pakistan’s attempts to sabotage India’s global narrative on Kashmir and Operation Sindoor would not be tolerated.

Malaysia marked the final leg of the delegation’s multi-nation tour, which previously included Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Indonesia. The team arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

Pakistan’s request came amid heightened international focus on the Kashmir issue, with Islamabad seeking to leverage the “Kashmir matter” at the United Nations to pressure countries to side with it against India.

Malaysia’s refusal to yield to such pressure exposes Pakistan’s isolation and the shrinking scope of its influence in countries that once might have been more sympathetic to its rhetoric.

The Indian delegation to Malaysia, headed by JDU MP Sanjay Jha, included BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Brij Lal, Pradan Baruah, and Hemang Joshi, TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, CPM's John Brittas, Congress leader Salman Khurshid, and former Indian Ambassador Mohan Kumar.

During their visit, the delegation held talks with Malaysia’s People’s Justice Party (PKR), led by YB Sim Tze Tzin — a former minister under PM Mahathir Mohamad — and underscored India's firm stance under Operation Sindoor, reaffirming its zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism.