PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that Malaysia has decided to apply for membership in the BRICS group and will soon start filing the official paperwork.
In an interview with the Chinese news outlet Guancha on Sunday, Anwar said Malaysia has established its policy and has decided to proceed with the formal application process set to begin shortly.
“We have made our policy clear and we have made our decision. We will start the formal process soon. We are waiting for the final result and the feedback from the South African government,“ he was quoted as saying.
He said the country’s geographical position is a key factor as Malaysia’s potential membership in BRICS holds strategic importance due to its location along the Malacca Strait, an important shipping route linking the Pacific and Indian Oceans between Malaysia and Indonesia’s Sumatra island.
BRICS, founded in 2006, currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In January, the organisation admitted Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as new members.
Earlier this month, Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov said that approximately 30 countries have expressed interest in joining BRICS, including Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam in Malaysia’s neighbourhood.
Anwar also mentioned he had raised the subject during a recent meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
“The West wants to control the discourse in the world, but we can no longer accept it because they are no longer a colonial power and independent countries should be free to express themselves.
“The world is no longer unipolar, and the rise of BRICS and China has offered a glimmer of hope that there are checks and balances in the world,“ he said.
The 2024 BRICS summit is scheduled for October in Kazan, Russia, with Moscow leading the organisation since January.
