Malaysia, BRICS and the Global South’s new chapter

Rising power: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Malaysia’s debut on the BRICS stage was an overture with a statement of intent on what’s in the offing going forward. – Bernama

IN Rio de Janeiro this week, something quietly historic unfolded. As the city welcomed leaders for the BRICS Summit, a fresh voice entered the conversation – Malaysia, a newly engaged BRICS partner country and current Chair of Asean. It wasn’t just the setting that was momentous; the substance, too, defied expectations.

Moments after touching down, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was ushered on stage alongside President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to open the BRICS Business Forum. What followed was not the usual speech-reading routine of international summits. Speaking with conviction, Anwar eschewed prepared remarks in favour of an unadorned, impassioned message that electrified the room and drew thunderous, sustained applause.