KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia, which is also his fourth trip to the Arab country since being appointed as Malaysia’s prime minister not only marked the close ties between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia but also signified his close relationship with the Kingdom’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Islamic Hadhari Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Prof Dr Zaid Ahmad said Anwar’s presence in Saudi Arabia via personal invitation of the Crown Prince himself also cemented the Prime Minister’s stature as one of the main voices for developing countries.
“While Anwar made a name for himself and gained attention for his criticism of Western countries for their hypocrisy in handling the Palestinian issue, his speech at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Special Meeting drew attention for its critique of major powers.
“Anwar asserted that major economic powers cannot dictate other countries, including Malaysia, at their own will. They must abide by the rules of the country and not impose any conditions or demands that diminish the country’s economic direction and policies,” he said in a statement.
Anwar was in Riyadh for two days to participate in the WEF Special Meeting themed ‘Global Cooperation, Growth, and Energy for Development’, where he was invited to deliver a speech at the opening plenary session.
Zaid said international forums like the WEF Special Meeting are important because they allow Anwar to assert Malaysia’s position on regional geopolitical issues in front of world leaders, especially as his voice is increasingly seen as representing the voices of other countries.
In addition to attending the WEF Special Meeting, the Prime Minister also led the Malaysian delegation in the Joint Regional Strategy Dialogue on ASEAN – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), where he highlighted some of ASEAN’s priorities as Malaysia prepares to assume chairmanship of the regional grouping next year.
According to Zaid, apart from exchanging views with his counterparts from various countries, Anwar along with other Malaysian delegates also held several important meetings with global leaders and corporate heads in a mission to explore various economic opportunities and attract new investments to the country.
“With Anwar’s convincing explanation of Malaysia’s progress and the existence of extensive trade and investment opportunities here, many industry and business leaders in attendance expressed interest in investing in Malaysia in various fields.
“All of this is evidence that Anwar is Malaysia’s Top Salesman, and with his increasingly strong voice in international forums, he is now being increasingly recognized as one of the Top Spokesmen for Third World Countries,” he added.
