Kuala Lumpur: As chair of ASEAN, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is positioning Malaysia and the regional grouping as pivotal players in the Global South, advocating for a shift from bipolar dominance to equitable power-sharing through multipolarity. Throughout his visits from South America to Southeast Asia, and most recently to Russia, the Prime Minister has been vocal about fostering deeper South-South collaboration to enhance economic and political influence, enabling these nations to shape their destinies independently from developed countries.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Anwar’s call for a stronger Global South is timely, as emerging economies seek a greater role in shaping the global economic and political agenda. With the Global South representing 85 percent of the world’s population and accounting for over 40 percent of global GDP, their demand for equity is justified.
Malaysia is now one of nine partner countries in BRICS, an informal group of emerging economies. Its membership is expanding beyond the original five members-Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates becoming official members in 2024, enhancing the group’s economic influence.
Anwar, who also serves as Finance Minister, emphasizes Malaysia’s commitment to a shared future, a concept well-received by global leaders. During his recent visit to Russia, where he met President Vladimir Putin, Anwar highlighted Malaysia’s focus on broadening regional and global partnerships amid geopolitical shifts.
As an open trading economy, it is crucial for Malaysia to continuously seek opportunities to safeguard its economic interests. His advocacy for a more vocal Global South was reiterated during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia in April.
Anwar has also rallied support for reforms in the international financial system, particularly the IMF and WTO. He argues that these institutions should reform the international financial architecture to support free trade without discrimination against smaller nations.
Anwar expressed concerns about the rise of protectionism, even among G20 nations that originally supported free trade. He proposed reforms for the IMF and WTO to support nondiscriminatory free trade.
Anwar affirmed Putrajaya’s commitment to fostering shared growth, strengthening regional cooperation, and maintaining openness to trade, development, and commerce. He emphasized promoting an inclusive and sustainable approach to peace and security within the region and beyond.
As this year’s ASEAN chair, Malaysia aims to revitalize underused platforms like ASEAN+3 and the East Asia Summit, providing a neutral forum for strategic and security dialogue among competing powers. In an article published by Project Syndicate, Anwar noted that the upcoming ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit presents significant opportunities to engage key trading partners and reinforce ASEAN’s commitment to rules-based multilateral cooperation, as ASEAN, BRICS, and the Global South collectively resist unilateralism.