Malaysian Prime Minister to «Al.Riyadh»: Our relations with Saudi Arabia are exceptional and strong

The appointment of politician Anwar Ibrahim to the position of Prime Minister of Malaysia was the culmination of one of the most extraordinary political journeys in the world, following stages and milestones that lasted for more than 25 years.

His rise to power has provided an opportunity for the Southeast Asian country to address its social and political divisions while engaging in a decisive battle against corruption.

Anwar Ibrahim is considered one of Malaysia's saviors during the severe Asian financial crisis, which hit the country at the end of the 1990s when he was appointed Minister of Finance and managed through several programs and initiatives to reduce the high cost of living. This helped stimulate his country's economic growth, address inflation, and enhance confidence in the local market. He was then lauded for leading Malaysia through a dangerous stage of economic and financial turmoil.

In his interview with Al-Riyadh, Anwar stressed the need to strike a balance between Islam and openness, stressing the importance of dialogue among the different civilizations, to revive the values of coexistence and interaction between various social and cultural ideas.

He also expressed his rejection of the Israeli practices in the Gaza Strip, stressing that Malaysia seeks to maintain its good and stable relations with the United States, and at the same time with China as an important ally.

The interview went as follows:

- King Salman bin Abdulaziz had a successful visit to Malaysia in 2017, his first Asian visit, what was achieved after that historic visit from your point of view? How do you see the future of relations between the two countries?

The visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, was of great importance to the two countries, as it focused on vital areas such as trade, investment, and the upgrading of diplomatic relations.

In my opinion, this visit marked a new beginning, ushering in a different era of expanding relations beyond religious cooperation, particularly concerning pilgrims' affairs.

However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that swept the world, some of those programs and MOUs were postponed. But with the formation of the current government, our policies have become very clear, and thus we are moving forward - God willing - to build on what was achieved during that successful visit, to strengthen our relationship with our friends in the KSA, in multiple fields, most notably trade, investment, education and technology, in light of the ambitious vision 2030 of His Highness the Crown Prince.

In the past, relations helped to achieve a better understanding, as I did not only visit the KSA but also several other countries in the region, including Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait. This helped me to understand these Arab societies deeply and to better understand their economies and policies as well.

But for me, Saudi Arabia is an exceptional case, as I participated at a young age in the programs and events of the World Youth Symposium held in Riyadh, where I had the opportunity to meet Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Nassif, president of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. I also met Sheikh Hassan Al-Sheikh, may God rest his soul, the Minister of Higher Education at the time. My close relations with many prominent Saudi figures, including former Finance Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf, and other officials have continued over the years.

As soon as I became Prime Minister, I contacted officials in this country, led by His Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and we developed special relations, which helped to deepen feelings of fraternity and love and promote trade and investments between the two brotherly countries.

- Given the unprecedented situation in the Middle East following the devastating war on the Gaza Strip, how do you see the importance of coordination, consultation, and exchanging viewpoints at this time, especially with the absence of any real prospect for two-state negotiations?

In all my talks with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, and others, as well as during my meetings with His Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, I thanked the KSA for its permanent and continuous initiatives. I urged the American and Israeli sides to be more rational and responsible, and stop this genocide against civilians in Gaza. We will remain in constant contact with Saudi officials in this regard, given that the KSA and Malaysia have identical viewpoints as regards this war and are working jointly to find urgent solutions.

- You are a conservative Muslim, the founder of a large Islamic youth association, and at the same time an open liberal, how did you manage to combine and reconcile these two aspects?

Politically, your friends and lovers will always see you as a kind and nice person, yet at the same time, your political foes will describe you differently. What matters is that we describe ourselves through our actions and policies. We have presented this civic framework to our people, which means economic development and quality education for our children, and the important thing for me is the question of values, morals, charity, and compassion, which are firmly rooted in our Islamic culture. But within our societies there are some other ideologies, whether liberal or secular, that we have to deal with positively, to understand society and move forward to meet people's demands, as regards quality education, digital transformation, energy and food security, and others. These are the issues that we must address, without losing our identity as true Muslims, in the sense that we must live up to the lofty Islamic ideals and values. We should not lose focus on what is required in our country to move forward as a progressive and civilized nation.

- You've passed through many stages before coming to power. How have those tough times, especially the ones that led to your imprisonment and detention for several years, influenced you?

Your question reminds me of that hadith of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him):  As he was asked "Which of the people is tried most severely?" He said: "The Prophets, then those nearest to them, then those nearest to them." We must know, that what we went through, whatever it was, is easy compared to what those before us experienced, as they went through strife, afflictions, and severe calamities, so we must always trust in God in all our matters, and Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).

We have to consider all that we have passed through as part of our trial. It is also important to learn from all our experiences. I used to recall at every stage I went through, the Qur'anic verse, "I only desire reform so far as I am able, to the best of my power." Today I am thinking only of my country, Malaysia, and I will not discuss the divisions of the past, and I will focus only on the future.

Since the first day in your position, you have launched a war against corruption in an attempt to recover embezzled funds. To what extent have you progressed in this war, especially as regards the Malaysian Sovereign Wealth Fund? Is it possible to recover those funds, particularly those that have been smuggled abroad?

Unfortunately, corruption has been endemic, and the battle has been arduous, because it affects the top class, so it must be fought with a firm political will. Of course, we face opposition from some. but I will continue this war, and it's just the beginning. I will not tolerate corruption.

As for the funds to be recovered, we must first stop the leakage of billions of dollars now. Also in the process, we hope to recover some of these funds. Some have already been recovered, more than we expected. Other cases are still ongoing and we hope to recover more

- Malaysia has good relations with China and excellent relations with the United States and the West in general. How can Malaysia balance between these two poles, despite major disputes between them, and can Malaysia influence the resolution of the "Uyghur" issue?

We have good relations with the United States of America as well as China. We hope these two important States will contribute to resolving any problem through dialogue and understanding. We support every effort to ensure peace and security. We always turned to the West and still are, and now we look forward to cooperating more with China, Japan, and Korea, especially in the areas of trade, business, and investment for the benefit of all our peoples.

As for the issue of the "Uyghurs", we spoke with the Chinese side. In my private discussions with them, I expressed some of our concerns and questions. The Chinese authorities sometimes take the initiative to explain. But I think we will raise some of the issues in a wise manner, although I think things are better and that they will be more contained 

Malaysian Prime Minister speaking to Abdulaziz Al-Shehri (Photo - Bandar Bakhsh)