KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 – Malaysia has to exercise caution in positioning itself in its relations with other nations in view of the global geopolitical factor that is growing more complex, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
In this regard, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said every invitation to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to visit other countries, including Russia, must be carefully planned and considered.
“This is because official visits signal the respect for Malaysia’s bilateral relations with other countries. Malaysia wants to position itself as the middle state and not be seen as leaning towards any side because Malaysia’s foreign policy is based not only on diplomatic relations but also on trade ties.
“There are many invitations, but not all invitations need to be accepted… we need to be cautious. We do not want to get caught up in the more complex world politics that could potentially harm our relations with other countries,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time session.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (PN-Machang) regarding when the Prime Minister will make an official visit to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Meanwhile, Mohamad said Malaysia’s desire to join BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) is to ensure that the country does not contribute to a unipolar world (a situation where the majority of the world is controlled by one power in terms of economy, defence and cultural influence).
“BRICS is a platform for us to view the world as not overly tilted towards any side or managed by one entity alone. BRICS is a coalition of major countries, a loose bloc that can amplify our voice so that Malaysia can be heard on many platforms,” he said.
