Anwar slams 'misperception' Malaysia tilting to one superpower

Prime minister calls such speculation 'counterproductive'

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim gives a keynote address during the 37th Asia Pacific Roundtable on June 6 in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo by Norman Goh)

NORMAN GOH and HAKIMIE AMRIE, Nikkei staff writers

June 6, 2024 16:53 JST

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday slammed the idea that his country favors one superpower over the other, calling it a "gross misperception" of his country's interest.

"Of late, Malaysia has been perceived as tilting to one side in a so-called strategic pivot from the other side. This is not only an oversimplification but a gross misperception of our national interests and character," Anwar said in his keynote address this morning at the 37th Asia Pacific Roundtable in Kuala Lumpur hosted by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia.