KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 — The Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) today spoke out against the Taliban government in Afghanistan for barring Afghan women from attending university.

In a statement today, Abim president Muhammad Faizal Abdul Aziz said he agrees with the concerns shared by the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that the denial of education for women may affect the credibility of the Taliban-led administration.

"Abim has always believed that women play a pivotal role in nation building and have the right to the highest levels of education,” he said.

"Thus, in the spirit of dialogue and cooperation in the name of Muslim brotherhood, ABIM is always ready to work on this matter together,” he added.

On Tuesday, Afghanistan’s Taliban-run higher education ministry indefinitely suspended access to universities for women.

The move drew strong condemnation from other Muslim countries across the world such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan, Qatar and Indonesia.

The United Nations, along with Western countries such as the US and UK, have also expressed their disagreement at the decision.