[SAN FRANCISCO] Countries, including those in Asean, cannot be forced to see the world and big powers in a “Cold War mindset” amid a more complex world that would benefit from collaboration, said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Wednesday (Nov 15).

“The United States and the West remain very important allies to us, and China’s a very important trusted neighbour that would help in our attempt to propel the economy and ensure a peaceful, vibrant region economically,” he said.

Anwar was speaking at an armchair conversation facilitated by Tian Wei, a host from Chinese television network CGTN, as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) CEO Summit.

The summit is being held in parallel with the 30th Apec Economic Leaders’ Week in San Francisco, California.

Anwar acknowledged the “immense task” that the US, a traditional ally, took in Malaysia’s early years to help the country develop, for example, by leading investments and trade with the country.

“But things are changing; there’s increasing trade and investment with China,” he said. “So why then put us in a zero-sum game?”

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He added: “The world, in post-normal times, is more chaotic, more complex and full of contradictions and requires leaders with vision, with commitment, with shared ideas.”

Asked what he was hoping to see from a highly anticipated meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping taking place the same morning, the Malaysian premier said their engagement is “critical”. He added that such engagement sends a “clear message” that the world can work together to resolve serious problems such as climate change and the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.

At the same time, when talking about inclusivity and globalisation, Anwar said it is necessary to accept that the global situation and geopolitics have changed.

Malaysia and the region acknowledge that China has a role and there must be greater effort to ensure that it is part of the global community, even if competition exists, he added.

He noted that free trade agreements were seen as beneficial for countries in the 1990s, but countries should now “fully utilise” new mechanisms, such as multilateral agreements.

“I believe that countries must be able to engage more and accept the fact that a multilateral arrangement is more beneficial, and multilateral agreement means that countries cannot be marginalised or discriminated for geographical reasons or other reasons,” he said.

A new mechanism may be needed, he added, to prevent unhealthy divisions among countries, since problems such as climate change or the conflict in Ukraine and Gaza cause everyone to “suffer immensely”.

“What we learned in politics and business, in my humble view, is the lack of humanity, lack of compassion,” he said. “We compartmentalise people, we sow the seeds of differences and dissension, and I think this has to change.”

The private sector, too, has to step up and play a more dominant role with civil society in solving these challenges, said Anwar, as it is not feasible to depend only on political leaders.

Raising the example of the 1MDB scandal, which involved the embezzlement of billions of dollars in Malaysia, Anwar said this “would not have happened without the complicity” of the private sector, including Goldman Sachs.