PUTRAJAYA, Oct 3 — Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the government is monitoring the developments of the #BoycottMalaysia hashtag on Twitter started by social media users in India after Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad spoke about the need to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir conflict in his speech during the 74th United Nations General Assembly, recently.
Saifuddin said the Indian government has not issued an official response on the boycott calls.
“We are following the hashtag very closely, and depending on the situation, we are ready to give an answer,” Saifuddin said during a media engagement session at the ministry’s complex here today.
However, the minister said he does not think it will escalate since social media trends tend to run their course quickly.
“As you know, on social media, hashtags and such have their own ‘fever’, so it most likely will burn out,” Saifuddin said.
The hashtag #BoycottMalaysia has been trending on Twitter in India since Monday.
Users of the hashtag have been urging Indian citizens not to travel to Malaysia and complained about the government’s interference in India’s internal affairs.
Indian Army personnel numbering in the tens of thousands have been deployed in the region, disputed by India and Pakistan, with curfews imposed, political leaders arrested and disabling telecommunications and Internet services.
Jammu and Kashmir have seen increased unrest in the wake of a presidential decree on August 5, which removed the Muslim-majority state’s constitutionally-guaranteed special status and rights.
