Anwar says Malaysia will stay non-aligned but never neutral on Palestine, sovereignty or Islamophobia

KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said Malaysia will maintain an independent and non-aligned foreign policy but will not remain neutral on the Palestinian cause, Islamophobia or matters involving national sovereignty.

Anwar said the country will not shy away from taking a principled stance, even on issues involving powerful partners such as the United States (US) and China.

“First and foremost, Malaysia’s foreign policy will remain independent, and that is fiercely independent, proactive and non-aligned.

“(However), we will not hesitate to adopt positions, cultivate relationships, and support initiatives that advance our values, beliefs and interests.

“Malaysia cannot remain neutral on matters that involve fundamental rights such as the Palestinian struggle or in countering Islamophobia, or on our core national interests including territorial sovereignty, even when it comes to powerful partners like China and the United States,” Anwar said in his keynote address at the 39th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (APR) at the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur today.

Anwar said Malaysia’s principled stance includes the country’s unwavering support for the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law and its denunciation of the use of force or coercion, whether economic or military.

The prime minister also stressed that Malaysia and Asean continue to have meaningful engagements with China on the South China Sea, and said his Chinese counterparts had “responded reasonably” to his calls to expedite a Code of Conduct for the contested waters.

Asean leaders, he said, also unanimously agreed during their recent meeting in Cebu, the Philippines, to increase engagement with all sides in Myanmar.

“It cannot be overstated that the eventual political settlement must be a Myanmar-owned and Myanmar-led process, not one imposed externally,” Anwar said.

On the Cambodia-Thailand border tensions, Anwar said both Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet remain committed to lasting peace in the region.

Anwar also welcomed the understanding between the United States and Iran towards reaching a possible resolution to the months-long hostilities in West Asia, and stressed that a comprehensive ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz should be prioritised.

Malaysia, he said, is also expanding trade ties with newer, less leveraged markets in West Asia, Central Asia, Latin America and across Africa.

“Our goal is to strengthen existing partnerships, build new ones, and keep our economic ties broad-based, resilient, and forward-looking.

“In a more uncertain global environment, diversification is not just an economic strategy; it is a national necessity,” he said.