money play Commentary: Has Malaysia PM Anwar sold out over Ukraine?
SINGAPORE: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to Russia, his first ever, might serve Malaysia’s interests. But as Russia continues to fight against Ukraine two years after its illegal invasion of the latter in 2022, he has left himself open to criticism of double standards.
At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Anwar attended the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF). The summit of business leaders, held every year since 2015 in Vladivostok, is designed to promote the economic development of the Russian Far East.
During his two-day visit, Anwar held a bilateral meeting with Putin and delivered a speech at the EEF’s plenary session.
He became the sixth Southeast Asian leader to meet Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 (after his ASEAN counterparts from Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam as well as Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto)
NOTHING BUT PRAISE FOR VLADIMIR PUTINIn Vladivostok, the Malaysian prime minister had nothing but praise for Putin and Russia. He applauded Putin for his “vision and leadership”, called Russia a “key partner” and proposed the two countries forge a “special relationship”.
In his meeting with Putin, he admitted that his decision to visit Russia had not been an easy one but stressed that it had been the right one. He spoke of his desire to enhance collaboration with Russia in all fields, including Islamic banking, agriculture, energy transition, and science and technology. He called on Russian companies to invest in Malaysia and welcomed plans to establish direct air links between the two countries.
As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) chair in 2025, he pledged that Malaysia would strengthen the organisation’s Dialogue Partnership with Russia, declaring: “We are looking forward to your participation in the ASEAN Summit 2025”.
Throughout his two-day visit, Anwar was mindful not to embarrass his host by bringing up the awkward topic of the Russia-Ukraine war, which continued to rage 7,000km away.
On his arrival, Anwar merely tweeted that he hoped Russia would "pursue a constructive path towards a peaceful and sustainable resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, resting on the foundations of a negotiated peace".
And in an oblique reference to the conflict during the plenary session, he noted that while Western countries may have a problem with Russia, Malaysia did not. He even appeared to congratulate Putin for riding out Western sanctions, praising the Russian leader’s "determination to be able to undertake difficulties and survive".
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Commentary: Malaysia and the South China Sea dispute - a sea change under PM Anwar Ibrahim? A MARKED CONTRAST TO ANWAR’S PREVIOUS STANCEAnwar’s reticence to call out Russian aggression against Ukraine stood in marked contrast to his previous robust stance.
When Russia invaded its southern neighbour in February 2022, the then leader of the opposition was one of the few Southeast Asian politicians to openly condemn Russia by name. In his first major foreign policy speech as prime minister, Anwar not only criticised the physical destruction Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had wrought but also the destruction of “principles and laws that took decades to build”.
So why did Anwar give Russia a free pass on Ukraine? There are two main reasons.
The first is Malaysia’s application to join BRICS (so named after its first five members, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
In January, BRICS accepted five new members and invited applications from other countries. In July, Malaysia became the second Southeast Asian country after Thailand to lodge a formal application to join BRICS. Russia is this year’s chair of BRICS and will host the bloc’s summit in Kazan in October. Put simply, it does not do to criticise the chairman of the club one is applying for.
For Anwar, membership of BRICS is an attractive prospect because he believes the bloc will promote economic growth among its member states, thus allowing countries in the Global South to reshape the global economy and give them a greater voice in international affairs. As Anwar asserted in his speech: “The Global South is rising and Malaysia intends to rise with it.”
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Commentary: How will joining BRICS benefit Malaysia? 
Commentary: BRICS is neither anti-West nor a bloc Actually, Russia had already indicated that it supported Malaysia’s membership bid. But its ambitions were given a further boost when Putin invited Anwar to attend the Kazan Summit. According to the Malaysian prime minister, his attendance would represent “a significant step towards our ultimate goal of joining the group”.
At next month’s summit, Malaysia is unlikely to be granted immediate membership as there is a moratorium on new members. But it is likely to be accorded the status of BRICS Partner, the anteroom for full membership, perhaps as early as 2025.
WESTERN DOUBLE STANDARDS ON UKRAINE AND GAZAThe second reason why Anwar has changed his tune on the Russia-Ukraine War is that he has grown cynical over the West’s harsh criticism of Russia but its muted response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza since the Hamas incursion in October 2023.
Anwar has not only denounced Israel for the death of tens of thousands of Palestinians, he has also railed against the West, and especially the United States, for not condemning Israel and continuing to provide the country with arms.
In Vladivostok, he not only accused the West of being immoral, but of applying double standards when it comes to Ukraine and Gaza. In contrast, he praised Russia for its stance over the conflict and its long-standing support for Palestinian statehood.
But while there is undoubtedly much truth to Anwar’s heartfelt views, the Malaysian leader has also left himself open to accusations of double standards.
While he told EEF participants that colonisation was one of the root causes of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and reprehended Israel for committing atrocities in Gaza, he failed to condemn Russian colonialism in Ukraine and its war crimes in occupied areas of the country.
In seeking Moscow’s support for his geopolitical agenda in the Global South, and in highlighting the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza, Anwar appears willing to overlook Russia’s sins in Ukraine.
Ian Storey is a Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. This commentary first appeared on the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute's blogmoney play, Fulcrum.