Malaysia to maintain balanced foreign policy, says Anwar

 The prime minister says Malaysia has constructive relations with all major powers, including the US and Russia.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese at a joint press conference in Putrajaya today. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says Malaysia will continue to pursue a balanced foreign policy by engaging all major powers while prioritising national interests and regional stability.

In a Bernama report, Anwar said Malaysia maintains constructive relations with all major powers, including the US, Russia and Iran, while playing a facilitative role in conveying concerns from the Gulf nations and the broader Arab world amid ongoing tensions.

“We have been engaging with more countries. My priority, the mandate I have, is to protect the interests of the people of this country,” he said at a joint press conference with Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese.

The Australian leader is on a three-day official visit to Malaysia from April 15 to 17.

Anwar said Malaysia remains consistent in upholding freedom of navigation, particularly along key maritime routes such as the Straits of Malacca and the Strait of Hormuz.

He said Malaysia acknowledged the need to address underlying security concerns arising from ongoing conflicts but stressed the importance of peace and uninterrupted global trade flows.

“While supporting freedom of navigation, we also want clear guarantees from all countries, including major powers, to end animosity, attacks and sanctions against others,” he said.

“Ultimately, we are for peace, and the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to the international community.”

Meanwhile, Albanese described Australia as a “trusted and reliable trading partner”, noting that its adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) remained a key pillar of its international engagement.

Under UNCLOS, transit through international straits is intended to be non-discriminatory.

“We expect freedom of navigation to be the basis of international trade, and that is a very important principle that we uphold,” Albanese said.

A US blockade has further curbed traffic in the Strait of Hormuz over the past few days, following Iran’s effective closure of the strait after US-Israeli strikes on the country in late February.

The strategic waterway normally carries about a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas.

Iran has demanded the right to collect tolls as a condition for ending the conflict.

On Sunday, US president Donald Trump announced a blockade on maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the US and Iran failed to reach an agreement. - FMT