Anwar warns against new geopolitical orthodoxy, reaffirms Asean centrality

Free Malaysia Today

2 days ago

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivering his keynote address at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore today. (EPA Images pic)
PETALING JAYA : Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment as Asean chair to defending the bloc's centrality and long-standing principle of active non-alignment.
Speaking at the 22nd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Anwar warned against rising geopolitical orthodoxy and bloc politics that risk destabilising the region.
He said Southeast Asia does not need a new Cold War, and called instead for an equilibrium built on openness and cooperation.
'Preserving our autonomy is not about resisting others. It is about strengthening ourselves. This, in essence, is what Asean centrality is about,' Bernama quoted him as saying in his keynote speech.
He criticised 'coalitions that build walls instead of bridges', warning that they fuel an arms race and erode the legitimacy of multilateralism.
'A stable region is not one braced for conflict, but one grounded in openness, transparency and habit-forming cooperation.'
Anwar also stressed the importance of continuing to engage with major powers and middle powers alike.
'We will engage all who are willing – major powers and middle powers alike – not to set one against the other, but to maximise our own strategic space,' he said, stressing the importance of balancing ties with the US, China, and partners across Asia, Europe and the Global South.
Referencing the Johor-Singapore special economic zone as an example of what bilateral cooperation can achieve, Anwar said Asean offers a wider canvas for such partnerships.
He also cited outcomes from the recently concluded 46th Asean Summit and related summits in Kuala Lumpur, citing the adoption of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Asean 2045, progress on Timor-Leste's admission, and deeper engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council and China through joint summits.
Touching on regional flashpoints, Anwar called for calm, direct and consistent engagement with all parties in the South China Sea dispute.
'We have no interest in seeing tensions spiral into confrontation, least of all in waters so critical to our own security and prosperity,' he said.
The prime minister said all parties must uphold international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, adding that Malaysia rejected the idea of spheres of influence that silenced smaller nations.
He said true stability does not come from dividing the world into zones of control, but from creating space for all countries to participate meaningfully in shaping the global order.