Has The Madani Government Made Malaysia Irrelevant On The Global Stage

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IN a recent public LinkedIn post, the scholar Muhammad Suhail Mohamed Yazid asks: “Why did Malaysia fail to lead the Muslim world?”
In his article, he explained that Malaysia once aimed to lead internationally. But today, sadly, Malaysia is mostly ignored on the global stage.
Statements by Malaysia repeatedly ignored
This month, when Thailand and Cambodia clashed along their border, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim called for a ceasefire, and suggested sending observers. Both countries’ leaders ignored Malaysia.
Even as the rotating ASEAN chair, Malaysia’s neighbours still act as if it does not exist—hardly the behaviour of a regional leader.
In Bangkok, Thai citizens demonstrated in front of the Malaysian embassy, accusing the Madani government of interfering in Thailand’s sovereignty over the border dispute after clashes wounded Thai soldiers.
Thai citizens demanded that Anwar stop meddling, and told Malaysia to stay out of Thailand’s internal affairs, according to a Thai newsroom.
These and other actions show that Malaysia is sometimes noticed, but not often respected. Instead of being seen as a trusted diplomatic leader, Malaysia’s actions are often seen as naive interference.
ASEAN 2025: Words without action
(Image: Bernama)Malaysia hosted the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in 2025. Leaders spoke about inclusion and unity but failed to address regional crises, such as Myanmar and the Thailand-Cambodia clashes, while also ignoring domestic issues.
Madani’s promises remained hollow because ASEAN’s ideals were ignored right in Malaysia’s own backyard.
This week in Doha, Qatar, the primary conference to plan the International Stabilization Force for Gaza excluded Malaysia, while inviting 54 other countries including Indonesia and Uzbekistan.
Similarly, last month in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Muslim world leaders planned the Gaza peace agreement—again without inviting Malaysia. These repeated rejections show that the world still does not look to Malaysia for leadership.
Education and global influence: Malaysia falling behind
Malaysia’s weaker educational outcomes limit its regional and global influence, especially compared with neighbours like Vietnam and Singapore.
For example, despite having fewer economic resources, Vietnamese students consistently outperform Malaysian students in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) across reading, mathematics, and science.
Malaysian students like Edward Wong, who achieved a near-perfect 3.99 GPA but somehow were not accepted into any of their top-choice local universities shines a global light on Malaysia’s weaknesses.
Wong’s experience highlights how Malaysia’s education system struggles to prepare even its best students to compete globally.
Online outrage
(Image: AFP)When an Indonesian minister recently commented that Malaysia’s tiny disaster aid of US$60,000 was “not much”, it prompted immature, angry online reactions from Malaysians.
Even when Kuala Lumpur provides aid, it is not seen as a leader. Similarly, Malaysians recently criticised former Indonesian President Joko Widodo for paying respects to Pope Francis, and are frequently seen on social media publicly attacking Indonesians. Such childish attacks further reveal Malaysia’s international irrelevance.
Recent global rankings confirm Malaysia’s modest influence. For example, the Lowy Institute’s Asia Power Index 2025 places Malaysia 10th in the region for overall power but notes weak military capability, stagnant economic influence, and limited ability to shape even regional decisions.
This is no laughing matter. A country ignored by its own neighbours and overlooked in global decisions should ask hard questions: Why is Malaysia still not a leader? Does anyone really care what Malaysia thinks?
The Madani government needs better leaders—not just speeches, photo opportunities, and empty promises.
If nothing changes, then nothing will change. Malaysia now risks being forgotten as “that country”— the one that quietly vanished from international influence. 
Corruption Watch is a reader of Focus Malaysia.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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