Malaysia Madani on the world stage

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will take his concept of Malaysia Madani to the world stage when he addresses the United Nations General Assembly tomorrow in his maiden appearance as leader of the country.

Anwar is scheduled to deliver his statement at the general assembly at 10am tomorrow, or 10pm Malaysian time.

Besides the Malaysia Madani framework, he is also expected to share the country’s various work to address the climate crisis as well as address the challenges faced by Palestinians and the global issue of Islamophobia

The Prime Minister, who left on Tuesday night for New York, was accompanied by his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The Malaysian delegation in New York includes Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa, several MPs as well as government officials.

To date, a total of 99 heads of state, 58 heads of government and 35 ministers are set to deliver their countries’ statements during the general debate session from Sept 19 to 26.

This year’s theme is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”.

During his working trip, Anwar is also expected to meet leaders from at least five countries, captain of industries and the Malaysia Association of America.

On top of holding bilateral meetings with leaders from Turkiye, Iran, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Iraq, Anwar will also meet former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark who is currently the Chair of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Board, a global standard for the good governance of oil, gas and minerals.

He is scheduled to participate in a Round Table Discussion with Fortune 500 Companies today as well as an engagement session with Invest Malaysia New York.

He will also meet with entrepreneurs and potential new investors from the United States, such as Boeing, Kimberly Clark, Phillip Morris International and Procter & Gamble during both engagement sessions.

Anwar’s visit to the United States is coming at a time when the superpower and its allies are trying to counter China’s growing influence worldwide with their own financial pledges for development and climate aid.

According to KRA Group strategy director Amir Fareed Rahim, although the UN General Assembly is an international rather than a purely Western forum, the Prime Minister, by going to China and then the United States, is highlighting that Malaysia as a trading nation cannot and will not take sides in the current geopolitical contest.

“This has been our default position for decades and there is no reason why the unity government should abandon this.

“It has worked well for us in the past and we should continue to do so as multinational companies seek to shore up their supply chains and reduce risk,” he said.

The key, he added, would be to reposition Malaysia internationally as a well-connected and stable haven, which matters even more given global uncertainties.

The Prime Minister, he said, is also likely to continue pursuing a fairer international landscape as well as more substantive international cooperation.

“The balancing act will take hard work and tact but it likely is the most viable pathway for Malaysia, rather than picking sides,” Amir Fareed noted.

Echoing the sentiment, Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Dr Oh Ei Sun said Anwar’s trip to the United States shows that Malaysia is staying true to its vow of not taking sides amid global confrontation between superpowers.

“Like his predecessors, Anwar is likely to propose an extended version of his domestic agenda to the world, such as Malaysia Madani for all,” he said.

Malaysia University of Science and Technology economics professor Geoffrey Williams described the trip to the UN General Assembly as a normal part of the duties of a Prime Minister as well as an opportunity for Anwar to share his Madani vision.

“The trips to China are more focused on trade and investment and have delivered significant opportunities from an economic and development perspective.

“They show the change in priorities towards a more Asia-focused strategy, reflecting the importance of Asia in economic and geopolitical terms,” said Williams.

Tomorrow, Anwar will deliver a Friday sermon at the Islamic Cultural Center Riverside Drive in New York, the first foreign leader to be given such an honour by the city’s first mosque.

He will also host a dinner for 1,000 members of the Malaysian diaspora later in the day.