KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s participation in BRICS as a partner country does not mean the nation is bound to any specific geopolitical bloc, said Senior Political Advisor to the Prime Minister, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Malaysia maintains an open approach to cooperating with all parties, in line with the Madani government’s foreign policy which emphasises active and pragmatic diplomacy, he said of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s attendance at the ongoing 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi.
“We are participating as a partner country this time, not yet as a full member, so there is no issue of being tied to a bloc,” Tengku Zafrul told reporters after officiating the Pandan Community Hub here today, Bernama reports.
Tengku Zafrul, who is also the chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) said BRICS should also be viewed as an economic opportunity rather than solely through a geopolitical lens, particularly regarding avenues for cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and technology.
“Malaysia’s approach of cooperating with all parties is nothing new; rather, it has been a cornerstone of our foreign policy since independence, as the government has never placed all its interests in a single geopolitical basket,” he said.
The BRICS leaders summit—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—is discussing, among other issues, a common currency and strengthening trade among member countries.
Besides attending as a partner country, Anwar also held bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the leaders’ summit.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan who accompanied Anwar to the summit, said Malaysia and Russia were seeking to strengthen strategic ties through high-level diplomacy, including by exploring new opportunities in the fields of economy, trade, and investment that offer mutual benefits to both nations.
“The discussions also paved the way for exploring new potential in economic, trade, and investment relations, as well as cross-sector cooperation, aligning with Malaysia’s efforts to expand its international economic and diplomatic networks,” Ramanan said on Facebook.
Anwar also held bilateral meetings with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian.
Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Johari bin Abdul Ghani is also accompanying Anwar to the leaders’ summit. – September 12, 2026