(Petaling Jaya, Friday): Foreign Minister, Datuk Syed Hamid Albar has undertaken to look into the DAP proposal that the Malaysian government join in the international condemnation of the Taliban destruction and desecration of the Bamiyan Buddhas and other ancient Buddhist artefacts in Afghanistan to stop the abominable vandalism of the priceless heritage of humanity.
In a telephone conversation with Syed Hamid, I urged the Foreign Minister to declare Malaysia’s support and solidarity with countries like Iran, India, Pakistan, Russia, Germany, the European Union which had condemned the Taliban destruction of ancient Buddhist statues, which include giant Buddhas of religious, historic and artistic significance, in particular the two masterpieces - the Buddhas of Bamiyan (53 metre and 38 metre high respectively - the former the tallest standing Buddha in the world), which are ranked with the Seven Wonders of the World.
Hamid said that Malaysia had made its protest at the Taliban destruction of the ancient Buddhist statues through the United Nations, which has taken a very strong stand against the Taliban through the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the UN cultural agency UNESCO calling for the reversal of the Taliban decision.
I impressed on Hamid the importance of Malaysia, which had taken very clear stand on many important issues in the international arena, speaking out loud and clear against the senseless destruction of the ancient Buddhist statues which are a priceless heritage of mankind - especially as Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation.
(2/3/2001)