Anwar Malaysia Joined Brics To Navigate Global Shifts Not Choose Sides

---

 
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim delivering his lecture at the London School of Economics and Political Science. BERNAMA picKUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's decision to join BRICS was not about aligning with a particular bloc but rather a response to the need for strategic adaptation in an increasingly dynamic global environment.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said, as an international trading nation, Malaysia must navigate the uncertainties of the global landscape with renewed determination.
He said this includes staying adaptive and ambitious while prioritising sustainable, inclusive, and equitable growth.
Anwar said Malaysia was also focused on positioning
"It is through this forward-looking and holistic paradigm that Malaysia made the strategic decision to join BRICS. It is not, as some of the pundits would like to claim, about Malaysia choosing a side.
"It is about a clear-sighted recognition of the geopolitical and geoeconomic changes that are happening around us and expanding our options," he said.
Anwar made these remarks during his lecture, "The Adaptive Edge: Malaysia's Global Strategy in an Uncertain Era", at the London School of Economics and Political Science today.
He also said Malaysia was not alone in this endeavour, as neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia have made similar strategic calculations.
"As alluded to earlier, these developments are coterminous with the narrowing of the dichotomy between the Global South and Global North, notwithstanding the differential in absolute GDP numbers," he said.
Anwar added that, with Malaysia assuming the Asean chairmanship this year, he will bring this adaptive mindset, focusing on strengthening the bloc's connections with other regional organisations, such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in addition to the European Union.
On July 28, Anwar announced that Malaysia had applied to join BRICS during Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's two-day visit to Malaysia.
On Oct 24, Malaysia joined 12 other nations as a BRICS partner country.
BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, and China, was established in 2009 as a cooperation platform for emerging economies. South Africa joined the bloc in 2010.
The bloc has since expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.
BRICS represents about 40 per cent of the global population and accounts for a cumulative gross domestic product of US$26.6 trillion, or 26.2 per cent of the world's GDP, nearly matching the economic strength of the Group of Seven. NST

---