Malaysia’s Anwar puts non-aligned stance in focus with remarks on Taiwan

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s caller comments astir Taiwan person raised questions astir whether Malaysia is inactive committed to its accepted argumentation of non-alignment and not picking sides betwixt China and the United States.

In an interrogation with Al Jazeera that aired earlier this month, Anwar stated that helium saw Taiwan “as portion of China, period”, adding that this was “accepted by all”.

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More controversially, erstwhile asked whether helium would condemn China if it resorted to unit successful the lawsuit that peaceful “reunification” did not work, Anwar said that if a Malaysian authorities were attempting to interruption away, helium would usage unit to “protect the sanctity and unity of” Malaysia.

Anwar’s comments were praised by the Chinese government, with a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson stressing that Taiwan is “an inalienable portion of China’s territory” and that “China indispensable and volition beryllium reunited”.

Taiwan’s authorities condemned the remarks and warned that Anwar’s “one-sided enactment for China could negatively interaction Taiwanese businesses’ assurance successful investing successful Malaysia”.

Taiwan, the world’s largest chips producer, is simply a large capitalist successful Malaysia, peculiarly successful the country’s important semiconductor industry.

The iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper, the tallest gathering successful Taiwan, tin beryllium seen betwixt an alleyway successful Taipei connected December 26, 2022 [Chiang Ying-ying/AP]

Asked astir the contented by section media, Anwar appeared to locomotion backmost immoderate of his comments, stressing that Malaysia respected China’s presumption but favoured a peaceful solution to tensions successful the Taiwan Strait.

Anwar courted headlines again respective days aft his Al Jazeera interrogation erstwhile helium called for the bolstering of Malaysia’s defences successful the Bornean authorities of Sabah.

He pointed to the improvement of US-backed subject facilities successful neighbouring Philippines arsenic justification, successful part, for accrued defence spending.

The Philippine authorities is successful the process of upgrading subject facilities connected the land of Balabac, 50km (31 miles) from the Malaysian islands of Banggi and Balambangan.

Balabac was precocious added to the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) betwixt Washington and Manila, which granted US forces entree to designated locations successful the Philippines.

Anwar’s comments person bolstered longstanding suspicions among Western commentators that Malaysia is turning against the West and aligning with China, breaking from Malaysia’s accepted argumentation of non-alignment.

Indeed, Anwar’s remarks travel amid China’s increasing economical beingness successful Malaysia, with Beijing present representing Malaysia’s largest commercialized partner.

Malaysia has besides been 1 of the astir enthusiastic recipients of Chinese concern projects, including nether China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Anwar’s seemingly pro-China stance besides comes arsenic Malaysia diverges from the West connected different geopolitical issues, specified arsenic the ongoing conflicts successful the Middle East.

Long a steadfast professional of Israel, Malaysia nether Anwar has been particularly vocal successful its absorption to Israel’s genocidal warfare connected Gaza.

Flags bearing the hammer and sickle are flown successful beforehand of Tiananmen Gate successful Beijing, China, connected June 4, 2026 [File: Ng Han Guan/AP]

However, immoderate analysts propulsion backmost against suggestions of Malaysia undergoing a strategical realignment.

Chee Meng Tan, an adjunct prof of concern economics astatine the University of Nottingham Malaysia, noted that Malaysia’s designation of Taiwan arsenic “part of China” dates to the 1974 communiqué that then-Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak signed with Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai to found diplomatic relations betwixt their countries.

“What was caller was Anwar’s connection connected the imaginable usage of force, which the 1 China argumentation policy does not explicitly require,” Tan said.

Tan notes that Anwar’s comments should besides beryllium seen successful the discourse of his upcoming travel to China successful September, arsenic helium whitethorn beryllium attempting to appease Beijing.

Daniel Loebell, a PhD pupil astatine Northwestern University successful the US who has studied Chinese investments successful Malaysia, suggested that Anwar’s presumption simply represents a realist knowing of territorial integrity.

“Though this thought of unit against Taiwan is immensely troubling to me, I bash not deliberation it differs from Malaysia’s argumentation astatine all, arsenic helium believes that the PRC attacking Taiwan would magnitude to attacking a rebel organisation wrong a azygous state’s ain borders,” Loebell said, utilizing the acronym for the People’s Republic of China.

“As caput of the government, Anwar sees recognising 1 authorities of China amounting to the PRC government’s exclusive close to a monopoly connected the usage of unit wrong its borders.”

Anwar’s aboriginal comments expressing unease implicit the US-backed basal connected Balabac tin beryllium viewed arsenic linked to Malaysia’s ongoing quality with the Philippines implicit the presumption of Sabah.

The Philippines has claimed Sabah since the territory joined Malaysia successful 1963, a assertion Malaysia has consistently rejected.

Manila would reaffirm its assertion to Sabah successful February this year, maintaining that the Philippines’ Maritime Zones Act 2024 preserved its “existing and valid claims” implicit portion of the state.

In July, the Malaysian authorities lodged a ceremonial protestation with the United Nations implicit the Philippines’ assertion to an extended continental shelf, which Malaysia argued encroached connected Sabahan waters.

Tan, the adjunct professor, argued that Anwar’s remark connected the Balabac subject buildup whitethorn beryllium “a ‘protect-my-border’ reflex alternatively than a pro-China gesture”.

Anwar’s telephone to put successful Sabah’s defences besides comes arsenic Malaysia seeks to fortify its defence posture successful Borneo, mostly to bolster its claims successful the disputed South China Sea, wherever Malaysia is simply a claimant authorities alongside China.

While Malaysia has taken a decidedly little vocal stance connected the South China Sea quality than the Philippines, it has nevertheless maintained beardown defence ties with Western powers, partially to softly equilibrium against China’s assertive subject buildup successful the disputed waters.

Singapore’s Chief of Defence Force Vice Admiral Aaron Beng, Australia’s Chief of Defence Force Admiral David Johnston, Malaysia’s Chief of Defence Force General Mohd Nizam Jaffar, New Zealand’s Chief of Defence Force Air Marshall Tony Davies, and UK Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Tony Radakin airs astatine the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) Defence Chiefs’ Conference successful Singapore, connected May 29, 2025 [File: Edgar Su/Reuters]

This is demonstrated successful Malaysia’s continued committedness to the Five Powers Defence Arrangements (FPDA), a multilateral information model that besides includes Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

While not a binding defence treaty, the FPDA commits its members to consult with 1 different successful the lawsuit of an equipped onslaught connected Malaysia oregon Singapore. Under the framework, 2 large exercises are held annually – Bersama Shield and Bersama Lima – involving unit and assets from subordinate countries.

The FPDA maintains an aerial defence operations limb with office astatine a Malaysian Air Force basal successful Butterworth, Penang, headed by a elder Australian Air Force officer.

Australia besides maintains a firearm institution astatine Butterworth and a regular maritime information beingness successful the portion via the deployment of maritime patrol craft to Malaysia.

As a cardinal pillar of the FPDA, Malaysia facilitates a Western subject beingness successful the region, which analysts reason provides Malaysia with a quiescent deterrent for would-be aggressors.

While Malaysia recognises the benefits of continued defence ties with the West, it besides gains from continued Western investment.

As Loebell, the PhD student, noted, Malaysia has “maintained divers economical relations with galore states, and this has kept it from profoundly aligning with immoderate large power”.

“The USA inactive maintains arsenic favourable an economical presumption arsenic China does,” said Loebell, who doubts that Malaysia is seeking to align much intimately with China.

“What’s more, Taiwan’s enterprises proceed to put heavy successful Malaysia’s semiconductor industry, and Anwar undoubtedly knows and welcomes this.”