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

Source: South China Morning Post | Original Published At: 2024-06-18 04:59:22 UTC

Key Points

• Malaysia confirms intent to formalize Brics membership pending South Africa's final approval.
• Strategic importance of the Strait of Malacca highlighted as a key factor in Malaysia's Brics bid.
• Anwar Ibrahim emphasizes multilateralism and rejects Western dominance in global discourse.
• Malaysia-China economic cooperation agreements to be renewed during Li's visit.

The group of nations originally comprised Brazil China , and South Africa , which gave it the acronym.

“We have made a decision, we will be placing the formal procedures soon … we are just waiting for the final results from the government in South Africa,” Anwar said in an interview with Shanghai-based new site Guancha.

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, 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.

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