KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s achievements during his first year in office were no mean feat and it would be remiss to claim that his administration has taken a backseat in efforts to improve the nation’s global standing.
In just a year, Anwar has already set a high bar, having undertaken a total of 22 working trips to 14 countries – including regional neighbours such as Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand – as well as distant allies such as Japan, China, the United States, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
The string of official visits saw the prime minister returning not only with confirmed and prospective investments for the betterment of Malaysia’s economic growth, but also provided the nation with an opportunity to display its stance on global issues, namely the Israeli occupation in Gaza.
After waiting decades for the prime ministerial post, Anwar’s forthright nature was perhaps best captured in his remark towards US President Joe Biden during the 30th Apec Economic Leaders Meeting in San Francisco earlier this month.
Not mincing his words in conveying Malaysia’s steadfast support of the Palestinian cause, Anwar’s condemnation of the ongoing war sent a clear and unequivocal message: the killings and brutality in Gaza must end.
The prime minister also highlighted how Biden, who chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Caucus between 2001 to 2009, had once voiced out against the criminal prosecution which saw Anwar being put behind bars in 1999 on charges of corruption and sodomy.
“(The condemnation) is purely based on the principles of justice and human rights. That’s all we’re doing. Stop these atrocities, stop the killings of women and children, now,” Anwar said during the meeting, a clip of which gained attention and praise from numerous sectors.
Prominence among world leaders
As such, one political analyst told Scoop that Anwar’s conduct at the global stage is the least of the nation’s worries, considering how the prime minister is renowned for being a skilled orator with a solid prominence among world leaders.
“Yes, (Anwar) is well-known internationally among global leaders, but more importantly, he can articulate certain issues well,” said Azmi Hassan, a senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research.
“With the way (Anwar) conducts himself at the global stage, Malaysia is now being given special attention. Our foreign policy on the Palestinian issue does not differ from that under former prime ministers, but now, when (Anwar) articulates the matter, it gets the attention of world leaders.”
From a geopolitical perspective, Azmi suggested that Anwar could work towards bringing Malaysia closer to joining the proposed BRICS currency union in a move towards strengthening the nation’s economic sector.
The term BRICS refers to the grouping of major emerging economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The proposed BRICS currency would aid in de-dollarisation efforts, an initiative Anwar had previously proposed to reduce Malaysia’s reliance on the US dollar.
Meanwhile, political scientist Datuk Sivamurugan Pandian posited that Anwar’s vocal and critical attitude when it comes to humanitarian matters, such as steadfastly condemning Israel’s attack on Gaza, is unlikely to cause tension with other foreign nations.
“Voicing up based on our humanitarian values does not affect our relationship with other countries. Our stand remains solid and in touch with what’s happening around the world,” the Universiti Sains Malaysia academician told Scoop.
From the early days of his leadership, Anwar had stressed that any form of corruption or lack of governance will not be tolerated during his tenure as prime minister – a stance which Sivamurugan noted has been well-received by international figures.
The professor added that Anwar could continue to voice the aspirations of Islamic nations as well as Asean and developing countries to further boost his international image, saying: “(Anwar) is a statesman who has built his own brand; it’s time to market it holistically.”
On the other hand, Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun cautioned that while Anwar undoubtedly has a long-standing international image of his own, only time will tell how far the prime minister’s reputation will contribute to Malaysia’s position on the world stage.
He also said that Anwar must use his esteem in a way that will result in foreign direct investments (FDIs) for Malaysia, especially with Malaysia’s pro-Palestine stance which could cause some dispute with countries that play a part in strengthening the local economy.
“With Malaysia’s recent assertively pro-Palestinian stance, it remains to be seen how Malaysia fares in the eyes of staunchly pro-Israel Western countries, which are our main sources of FDI.” – November 24, 2023