Anwar’s US policy ?

Extracts from Josh Hong

 

At a closed-door dialogue with Anwar Ibrahim a couple of years ago, a question was raised as to whether the wannabe prime minister’s US policy would be too friendly to be palatable to many, which had some pro-Washington attendants in the room nervous.

Always a smart player, Anwar referred to China, stating that the world’s most populous nation’s bilateral relations with the US were based on strong national principles, while not neglecting the sole superpower as an extremely important trading partner to many a developing country, including Malaysia.

“They can accuse me of being a sellout, but it makes no sense to be hypocritical and dismiss the mutually beneficial economic co-operation between us and the Americans,” he said.

To placate his critics, Anwar added that Iraq had been a failure, and it was incumbent on Washington to withdraw its forces from the country and heal the wounds. He even cracked a joke by saying that someone on the CIA’s payroll would not usually be bold enough to express his/her negative views on Iraq and Afghanistan.

“But Malaysia must be realistic enough to not sacrifice trade and investments with the US.”

Anwar has been increasingly presenting himself as an alternative PM. How he would formulate a concrete policy on the US that would be popular with the Muslim community in Malaysia is worth observing.

 

 

 

How much ground would Anwar concede to the US should he manage to assume the highest political office in Malaysia? One litmus test would be his effort to reverse the downward foreign direct investment into the country.

Over the years, US investments in Malaysia have been on the decline, especially in Penang, where the once ‘high-tech’ industry is now experiencing the agony of transformation.

 

 

Being the biggest investor, the US will remain an obvious as well as attractive choice. A pragmatic Anwar would likely embrace the opportunities offered by the Americans, and a conclusion of the long-delayed FTA could not be ruled out.

Many believe Anwar’s ascension to the prime ministership could usher in a political renaissance in a country that has all the potential to be a model democracy in the region, but it would also be likely that all his attempts to forge closer ties with the west, and the US in particular, would be fraught with challenge and cause much backlash.