Malaysia must continue to position itself as a middle state, says foreign minister

New Straits Times

07-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must continue to position itself as a middle state and not be seen as leaning towards any side, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said as a trading nation, it was imperative for Malaysia to maintain balanced relations with all countries.
"There are benefits when major powers are in disagreement or not aligned. In such times, many will turn to us.
"Therefore, Malaysia must be seen as a nation that can engage with any country, one that is able to speak with all sides."
He said this in his speech at the closing of the 2025 Asean-Malaysia Chairmanship Security Exercise today.
Mohamad said he recently returned from the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and made Malaysia's position clear.
"We positioned Malaysia as not leaning towards anybody.
"This is why we refrained from making any statements on the issue (United States tariffs).
"Instead, we sent our representatives, the investment, trade and industry minister and second finance minister, to engage directly with the United States."
He said Malaysia took note of what the US wanted and would deliberate on the matter before making any decisions.
"We will begin negotiations once both parties are clear about each other's expectations," he said.
"Many people say that China is our biggest trading partner, but it's not in our favour.
"On the other hand, the US, even though it is our third-largest trading partner, we have trading surplus in our favour.
"Therefore, we will look at ways to buy more from the US and also how China can buy more from us so that we can balance our trade.
"The important thing is, when we do business with others, we want it to be profitable for our people."