Malaysia prepares to join Brics pending ‘final results’ from South Africa

The group last year began to expand its membership as it looks to challenge a world order dominated by Western economies, with Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates joining and more than 40 countries expressing interest. The additional countries’ membership took effect on January 1.

A representative from the Malaysian prime minister’s office on Tuesday confirmed his comments. Anwar did not provide further details on the Brics application process in the interview.

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Anwar Ibrahim on navigating Malaysia through China-US tensions | Talking Post with Yonden Lhatoo

During the interview, Anwar said Malaysia was committed to the Global South and its potential membership in Brics would be of strategic importance given the Strait of Malacca’s position as an important shipping lane connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

He said he was relieved that the world was no longer unipolar, with Brics providing a ray of hope that there are checks and balances in the world.

“We can no longer accept the scenario where the West wants to control the discourse because the fact is they are not colonial powers any more and independent countries should be free to express themselves,” he added.

Anwar’s comments came ahead of a three-day visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang this week, as part of celebrations marking the 50th year of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.

Malaysia and China are expected to sign several deals during Li’s visit, including renewing a five-year trade and economic cooperation agreement.

Additional reporting by The Star

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