BRICS not an ‘anti-Western’ group, says Mohamad

 

Foreign minister Mohamad Hasan said the country’s participation in BRICS was in line with Malaysia’s foreign policy approach of multilateralism. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

The Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) economic bloc which Malaysia wants to join is not an 

anti-Western

 organisation, said foreign minister Mohamad Hasan.

In a written Dewan Negara reply, Mohamad emphasised that there were many BRICS members that maintained good relations with Western countries, adding that as a sovereign nation, Malaysia is free to join intergovernmental organisations that benefit the country.

He said that as a trading nation, it was important for Malaysia to establish good relations with all countries in an effort to explore new trade and investment opportunities.

Mohamad also said the country’s participation in BRICS was in line with Malaysia’s foreign policy approach, which supports the concept of multilateralism to deal with various urgent global challenges.

He said this was evident through the active role Malaysia played in various organisations at regional and international levels, including the United Nations (UN), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Asean, and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

Malaysia is confident that the country’s involvement in BRICS will not be an obstacle to good relations and cooperation with any country, including Western countries,

 he said.

“The government sees that Malaysia’s involvement in BRICS is in line with efforts to drive the country’s economy to grow more rapidly, be stable and resilient.

In addition, Malaysia’s participation in BRICS is believed to be able to provide added value to the country, especially involving issues of development and the global economy, as well as other interests for developing countries.

He was replying to a question by senator Halim Suleiman on whether Malaysia’s participation in BRICS was in line with the government’s foreign policy of always maintaining good relations with all countries.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia had applied to join the BRICS intergovernmental organisation.

In a statement, the prime minister’s office said Malaysia had sent an application letter to join the BRICS organisation to Russia, as the BRICS chair, besides expressing openness to join as a member country or a strategic partner.

BRICS was founded in 2009. The alliance now encompasses almost 46% of the world’s population and 36% of global GDP following the admission of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE into the grouping at the beginning of the year. - FMT