The new prime minister has thrown himself into travel to raise Malaysia’s profile on regional challenges after years of turmoil, say these analysts.
and Türkiye and hosted senior officials from countries including the United States, Germany and Singapore. This is a pace of travel and engagement unmatched by his recent predecessors.
It may be due to this precariousness that Anwar, dual-hatted as finance minister, has focused his travel abroad primarily on economic deals that could carry benefits for his constituents at home. Malaysia experienced unexpectedly strong economic growth in 2022, but this boost is the result of reopening post-COVID; the economy is expected to cool in 2023 due to a slowdown in pent-up domestic demand and global growth.
Anwar was also more forward-leaning in demonstrating his potential regional leadership. Notably, he urged Prayut – who has close ties to senior members of Myanmar’s military government – to take a direct stance against the military government, suggesting that The Association of Southeast Asian Nations “carve Myanmar out” for now.
Anwar’s push for an AMF stands in stark contrast to a previous tussle between him and his then-mentor Mahathir Mohamad in the heyday of the 1997–98 Asian Financial Crisis, when Anwar favoured an International Monetary Fund bailout while Mahathir preferred capital controls – a debate that played a role in Anwar’s ouster and jail time.Anwar has also underscored his desire to project camaraderie with Malaysia’s fellow Muslim-majority countries.
US Trade Representative and Cabinet official Katherine Tai’s meeting with Anwar on Feb 16 was a good first step, with the two focusing discussions on the importance of the US-Malaysia trade and investment relationship.
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