MALAYSIA, RAKYAT NEWS – The Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim reaffirmed Malaysia’s stance as a sovereign nation, refusing to align with any country’s conflicts, including rejecting a request from the United States to limit ties with Russia

During a one-hour meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at last month’s ASEAN Summit in Laos, Anwar disclosed that he had declined the U.S. request.

He stated, “Some friends advised me that as a small nation, we should be careful. The U.S. is a significant investor, and I maintain good relationships with foreign leaders. However, when discussing investments and issues in Gaza and Lebanon, the U.S. asked us not to engage with Russia,”

I responded that this is your issue; don’t tell us what to do. We are a sovereign country, making decisions for our people and nation.”

He emphasized Malaysia’s neutral position, highlighting the strong cooperation with the U.S., despite ongoing tensions with China, Malaysia’s largest trading partner since 2009.

His recent two-day working visit to Russia in September reflects the government’s strategic initiative to strengthen Malaysia-Russia relations established over the past decade. However, Anwar opted to send Economic Minister Rafizi Ramli in his place to the BRICS Summit in Kazan from October 22 to 24, indicating a careful balancing of relationships.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned of an imminent risk of direct military conflict between Russia and the U.S. just days before the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

He stated, “Under the current president (Joe Biden), who has escalated anti-Russian sentiment to a new level, our country is on the brink of direct military conflict,” in an interview with Turkish newspaper Hurriyet. (Uki Ruknuddin)