ASEAN'S STRENGTH LIES IN NEUTRALITY AND ENGAGEMENT, SAYS ANWAR

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said ASEAN’s ability to maintain neutrality and engage all major powers without being drawn into geopolitical rivalry is rooted in mutual respect and inclusive diplomacy.

 This approach, he noted, has enabled the region to remain peaceful and economically resilient amid rising global tensions.

“ASEAN, as a whole, adopts a policy of centrality. We trade with all, and we should be friends with all,” he said during a question-and-answer session following his public lecture titled “ASEAN in a Multipolar World: Perspectives from Malaysia” at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) on Thursday.

The session was streamed on Anwar's Facebook page.

Anwar added that ASEAN must remain confident in charting its path while upholding a consistent foreign policy approach in dealing with the United States (US), China and other global players.

He also noted Malaysia’s approach to overlapping maritime claims in the region, including in the South China Sea, was anchored in peaceful dialogue and cooperation.

“We have issues with several countries -- Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines and Vietnam -- but we resolve them through negotiations or joint development efforts. We don’t go to war,” he said.

Meanwhile, Anwar said Malaysia had written to US President Donald Trump and China’s leadership to propose holding ASEAN-US and ASEAN-China summits during Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship.

“That is what geopolitical relations are about -- engaging with all,” he said.

He dismissed portrayals of China as a regional threat, stating that Malaysia does not share such a view.

“Some say China is a threat. A threat to whom? Not to us,” he said, reaffirming Malaysia’s commitment to maintaining friendly and constructive ties with all partners, including China, US and Russia.

Anwar also spoke on Malaysia’s engagement with the Global South, including through the BRICS group, where Malaysia has been invited to participate with support from Russia and China.

“Russia has strength in energy, digital and petrochemical sectors. Despite existing restrictions due to sanctions, we are opening ways,” he said, adding that Malaysia welcomes the return of Russian carriers such as Aeroflot to Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Anwar reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to regional cooperation through ASEAN, describing Southeast Asia as the most peaceful subregion and one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

He said ASEAN’s progress has been driven by trust, coordination and a consistent willingness among its members to engage, even on sensitive matters.

“We in ASEAN consult one another closely. Our success lies in mutual trust, coordination and the willingness to engage,” Anwar said in his public lecture.

On international conflicts, Anwar expressed concern over double standards in global responses, particularly between the war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

He reiterated Malaysia’s support for a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict and said the matter had been raised during his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.

“I told President Putin that we look forward to the success of the negotiations taking place in Istanbul today. We support all initiatives to resolve this amicably and peacefully,” he said.

Anwar said Malaysia continues to maintain strong relations with the US, its largest investor and trading partner while reserving the right to express principled views on global issues.

He said effective leadership requires courage and consistency, even during periods of uncertainty.

“Leadership is a work of patient conviction - to act with courage when clarity is elusive, and to hold fast to hope when it feels most fragile,” he said.

Anwar is on a four-day official visit to Russia, with programmes in Moscow and Kazan, at the invitation of Putin.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, was conferred an honorary doctorate by the MGIMO.

-- BERNAMA