KUALA LUMPUR – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has hit back at claims that his official visits abroad, including to Brazil for the recent BRICS Summit, were merely for leisure, stressing that each trip was part of a broader strategy to strengthen Malaysia’s global economic ties.
“We do not travel just for sightseeing,” he said, as quoted by Bernama.
“During meetings and engagements, we use every opportunity to meet with leaders and stakeholders to deepen relationships and forge cooperation”
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Madani Rakyat Programme (PMR) 2025 in Terengganu today, the finance minister said Malaysia had already reaped tangible benefits from these engagements — including Petronas being granted access to Brazil’s largest oil platform.
He also defended his administration’s participation in multiple Asean meetings, saying these were not merely ceremonial but had resulted in concrete outcomes. Among them, he highlighted a major green hydrogen energy initiative centred in Terengganu, positioning the state as a future regional hub.
The project, set to take place in Tasik Kenyir, aligns with Asean’s wider agenda to implement the Asean Power Grid, which will eventually allow cross-border electricity supply from Vietnam to Malaysia and Singapore via undersea cables.
“This kind of energy production can only be achieved through cooperation between Asean, the federal government, and state governments,” Anwar said.
“It will certainly place Malaysia as a leading energy producer in the region.”
With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure — which demands much higher energy and water consumption than traditional industries — Anwar said it was crucial for Malaysia to support the regional power grid initiative and secure its place in the emerging energy landscape.
He added that Malaysia’s growing influence was evident in the increased participation of global powers in recent Asean forums, noting that countries such as Japan, the United States, Russia and Türkiye had all attended key meetings.
“This reflects their confidence in Malaysia’s stability and economic potential,” he said.
“They see Malaysia as a peaceful, united nation with great promise for trade and cooperation.” – July 12, 2025