From Rhetoric to Realignment? Anwar Ibrahim and the BRICS Question
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
“More importantly, full membership, even if it were to happen, is not imminent. The Brazilian BRICS Presidency has confirmed that the July 2025 summit will not discuss membership expansion. The earliest consideration would be in 2026.”
“Even then, Malaysia cannot assume that its admission is assured. Despite expressing interest later than Malaysia, Indonesia was the sole Southeast Asian country admitted as a member – its application was fast-tracked. Even if China and Russia support Malaysia’s candidacy, others may not. India may object due to Malaysia’s stance on Kashmir and its perceived closeness with Beijing. Regional partners, such as Indonesia, may view Malaysia’s potential BRICS membership as competition to their strategic interests in the bloc and may hesitate to support its admission. Given that BRICS decisions on new members require unanimous approval, these dynamics make Malaysia’s path to membership a particularly high bar.”
“…the government has not been able to demonstrate clear benefits of joining BRICS. Currently, most of Malaysia’s trade with BRICS members is with China and India. It is uncertain how much additional value full membership would actually confer. Moreover, its immediate priority is to negotiate reductions in the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Malaysian exports, given their direct impact on the national economy.”