customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

knowledgeQuestion

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Maria Siow

Malaysia’s coming chairmanship of Asean in 2025 will test its diplomatic skills, as experts argue its evolving stance on the Israeli-Gaza war and strengthening ties with China could challenge the bloc’s unity.
Tough issues are sure to crop up during its tenure, said Thomas Daniel, a senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia.
“Malaysia will require no small amounts of deft, proactive diplomacy to manage these issues in a way that positively pushes the needle forward where possible, avoids any kind of regression, and emphasises both Asean’s interests and cohesion,” he told This Week in Asia.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed confidence in Malaysia’s ability to host the Asean Summit, with Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan outlining the three pillars for its chairmanship as security and politics; the economy; and socio-culture.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ chair, currently held by Laos, rotates annually around the 10 member states in English alphabetical order.

But concerns are mounting about the bloc’s cohesion amid its struggles dealing with the Myanmar crisis and South China Sea disputes.
Joanne Lin Weiling, an associate senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, noted the traditional role Malaysia has played in promoting regional diplomacy.
“However, the ongoing conflict in Gaza has led Malaysia to shift its focus more towards the Middle East, adopting a more cautious stance towards the US and other allies of Israel,” she said. This shift has been accompanied by stronger ties with China and interest in Brics.
Malaysia has shown robust support for Palestinians, with Anwar calling Hamas “freedom fighters” and rejecting US demands to cut ties.
The country’s recent application to join Brics was welcomed by Beijing, which said it seeks “like-minded partners”.

“These shifting strategic priorities are likely to influence Malaysia’s approach to major regional issues,” Lin said, suggesting the nation might prioritise cooperation with the Middle East and advocate for stronger language on related issues within Asean.
“Through such priorities, Prime Minister Anwar will be able to leverage regional platforms to boost his domestic standing,” she noted, adding that Malaysia is likely to welcome initiatives with China and Brics members, including Russia.
Despite all this, Lin believes Malaysia’s chairmanship won’t drastically alter Asean’s relations with the US or the West, as the chair’s influence is limited in the consensus-based bloc. As the current country coordinator for Asean’s relations with China and a South China Sea claimant state, Malaysia has “a vested interest” in speeding up code of conduct negotiations, she said.
Asean Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn announced plans in June to accelerate talks with China, eyeing a code to mitigate conflict risks in contested waters by 2026. “However, if Malaysia is perceived as favouring China, it may face challenges balancing the interests of other claimant states, such as the Philippines and Vietnam,” Lin said – further highlighting Malaysia’s likely push for stronger action on Myanmar given its vocal stance on human rights issues.

Former Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah was a vocal advocate for a stronger Asean response to Myanmar and previously met with representatives of the National Unity Government, a shadow administration that opposes the ruling military junta.
Dedi Dinarto, an associate at strategic advisory firm Global Counsel, said Malaysia’s push for closer ties with China could hinder its ability to advocate for a strong regional stance on the South China Sea conflict. Following Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Malaysia in June, Anwar referred to China as a “true friend”, while Li hailed the relationship as a model for bilateral ties in the region.
China has been Malaysia’s top trading partner since 2009, with bilateral trade reaching US$98.8 billion last year, accounting for 17 per cent of the Southeast Asian nation’s total trade.
While Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship and interest in Brics both reflect its aim to promote economic and political cooperation, Dinarto said the objectives and dynamics of the two differ significantly.
Chairing Asean allows Malaysia to reaffirm its role as a key regional player after the years of political upheaval that followed the Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition being ousted in the 2018 elections. By contrast, joining Brics represents a strategic move to strengthen ties with rising powers like China, India, and Russia amid rising geopolitical tensions between Beijing and the West.
Malaysia’s leadership will be tested as it carefully navigates between pursuing its national interests and fulfilling its responsibilities
Dedi Dinarto, strategic advisory associate
“Overall, Malaysia’s leadership will be tested as it carefully navigates between pursuing its national interests and fulfilling its responsibilities as next year’s chair,” Dinarto said.
Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations in the US, noted that while Malaysia “may make for a decent host”, Anwar’s challenging domestic political landscape could undermine his foreign policy effectiveness within Asean and beyond. He said Malaysia is not positioned to accomplish more than previous Asean chairs, citing both internal challenges and the overall weakness of the bloc.
Domestic challenges for Anwar include attracting investment, implementing economic reforms and addressing long-standing corruption issues, Kurlantzick said in a June blog post for the Council on Foreign Relations.
“In recent years, it [Asean] has done so little on key issues like Myanmar and the South China Sea that it has lost much credibility as a regional organisation, regardless of who is chair,” he said.


Malaysia’s Penang looks ‘50 years ahead’ to revive Silicon Valley of the East

Cheap Chinese goods bring joy to Southeast Asia’s shoppers. What’s the trade-off?

Malaysia’s PAS vows to shut casino if it controls Pahang – ‘gambling is harmful’

Malaysia to wait for Hong Kong’s policy direction on Islamic finance before helping: envoy

Malaysia

Malaysia as 2025 Asean chair: a test of diplomacy, regional cohesion – and its China ties

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed confidence in Malaysia’s ability to host next year’s Asean Summit. Photo: Bloomberg

Chairing Asean allows Malaysia to reaffirm its role as a key regional player, observers say. Photo: Reuters

Foreign ministers pose for a group photo at the 25th Asean Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, in July. Photo: AP

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will likely seek to leverage Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean to boost his domestic standing, observers say. Photo: Bloomberg

Chinese Premier Li Qiang inspects a guard of honour during a welcoming ceremony in Putrajaya, Malaysia, in June. Photo: Malaysia’s Department of Information/AFP

What’s Malaysia’s stance on the South China Sea? Latest remarks raise potential shift

Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan’s recent comments on the South China Sea and Kuala Lumpur’s decision to join a Chinese-led regional bloc, raised concerns about its neutral foreign policy.  Photo: AFP

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently indicated his desire to join the China-led Brics group of countries. Photo: Hadi Azmi

The Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos on July 27. Photo: AP

Malaysia, in solidarity ‘with people of Palestine’, welcomes wounded fleeing Israel-Gaza war

Malaysian armed forces personnel escort patients and families that fled the Israel-Gaza war, into a field hospital at the Subang air force base. Photo: Joseph Sipalan

Malaysia welcomed dozens of injured Palestinians who fled the Israel-Gaza war. Photo: Joseph Sipalan

Philippines says Asean remains soft on China over maritime row, risks irrelevance

A Chinese coastguard ship and a Philippine coastguard ship sailing near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. Photo: AFP

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro speaking at a conference in Manila. Photo: AP

How Asean anchors Vietnam’s diplomatic dance between China and the West

An honour guard raises an Asean flag outside the foreign ministry in Hanoi on August 8 to mark the 29th anniversary of Vietnam’s accession to the bloc. Photo: EPA-EFE

A member of the Philippines’ coastguard and a Vietnamese coastguard vessel both fire water cannons during joint drills near Manila Bay, the Philippines, on August 9. Photo: EPA-EFE

Vietnam’s deputy foreign minister Do Hung Viet (left) embraces Laos’ top diplomat at an Asean foreign ministers’ meeting in Vientiane last month. Photo: AFP

Vietnam’s Do Hung Viet interacts with Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong at the Asean ministers’ meeting in Laos last month. Photo: Reuters

South China Sea: when should Philippines invoke its US Mutual Defence Treaty?

Chinese coastguard ships surround a Philippine patrol vessel near Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday. Photo: AFP

A Chinese coastguard ship is seen from a Philippine vessel during a resupply mission to Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea on Monday. Photo: AFP

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in Manila on Tuesday. He has called China’s actions “patently illegal”. Photo: AP

A still from video footage shows a Chinese coastguard ship using water cannon against a Philippine patrol vessel in the South China Sea on Sunday. Photo: EPA-EFE / Philippine Coast Guard 

This Week in Asia

Politics

News

Asia

Southeast Asia

With tensions rising in the South China Sea and the Myanmar crisis still unresolved, Malaysia’s leadership will be closely scrutinised


With tensions rising in the South China Sea and the Myanmar crisis still unresolved, Malaysia’s leadership will be closely scrutinised.
