On the sidelines of the Sept. 3-6 Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim emphasized the importance of BRICS and its president Russia this year in an interview with RT and RIA Novosti. According to coverage on Sept. 5 in Sputnik, Anwar said: “Well, we are very appreciative of the fact that [Russian] President Putin officially invited me to attend the BRICS meeting in Kazan next month. Our policy is of course to strengthen the Global South. BRICS is a very important vehicle to strengthen that sort of collaboration among countries in the Global South. Not necessarily in antagonism, but at least to contain the onslaught of other richer industrialized countries and to be able to at least withstand the pressure and together build up the force.” Russia also holds the chairmanship of BRICS in 2024.
Prime Minister Anwar spoke about the role of using local currencies as an important tool to increase his country’s independence. “We are still quite dependent on the dollar, but at least to reduce the impact, we need to do that. And BRICS is of course another vehicle to do that,” Anwar said. “We also have to then organize ourselves to be more strong, to be able to contain the pressures not within our control. So that is, to me, the wisdom,” he added.
Anwar stressed that Malaysia was going to work and trade with Russia, reminding people that Malaysia never joined the Western sanctions against Russia. “Russians should not in any way feel that we are influenced by others’ opinion.... There is ... this special relationship that Malaysia wants to offer to Russia,” Anwar said. At the same time, Malaysia will maintain its independence, and will work with all countries equally. “This issue of centrality and engaging with the United States, which is still a major player in terms of investments and trade with Malaysia, with Europe, particularly Germany, and more so now with China, India, and Russia, it will benefit us,” he said.
On the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Prime Minister Anwar was critical of the response by leading Western powers: “No, we are for peaceful resolution, whether you regard Ukraine or most of Gaza, now with these atrocities inflicted on the Palestinian people in Gaza and the inability, the complete abandonment of principles from the Western powers, that’s to me shocking,” the Prime Minister said.
