Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
BANGKOK (Bernama): Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has displayed his political astuteness by appointing former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to his advisory team, according to a veteran Thai journalist specialising in regional affairs.
In an opinion piece published in the Bangkok Post recently, Kavi Chongkittavorn described the decision "reflects his (Anwar) understanding of regional traits and dynamics, where former leaders and influential figures can hold sway over multifaceted regional outlooks”.
According to him, several prominent names were reported in the media as prospective members of the team, including former foreign ministers of Singapore and Indonesia, George Yeo and Retno Marsudi.
"The Thai media believes former Cambodian prime minister Hun Sen is also in the team. In the future, other former Asean leaders could join the line-up,” he wrote.
Titled "Malaysia's Asean chair with a twist”, Kavi said in his piece that Anwar's sudden but strategic appointments are timely as Malaysia prepares to assume the ASEAN chairmanship in January 2025.
"If Anwar confirms the respective names as part of his team, Malaysia will gain the trust of Beijing, as the bloc tries to chart its diplomatic path in the coming months.
"As one of the parties in the South China Sea disputes, Malaysia has shown innovative approaches in managing ties with China individually and collectively with ASEAN,” he wrote further.
Malaysia, according to Kavi "wants to ensure its leading role in Asean, the organisation it helped found, maintains both its relevance and neutrality”.
However, Kavi reminded "various challenging issues await”.
Among others, in the coming weeks, Kavi said Asean will witness significant shifts in global geopolitics, with US President-elect Donald Trump playing a pivotal role in shaping international relations.
"Anwar recognises this reality and must balance Malaysian and Asean relations with both superpowers and regional players.”
On a personal level, Kavi said Anwar's cordial ties with Thai leaders across the political spectrum and his understanding of Thailand's political landscape must be noted.
"Appointing Thaksin, despite his long list of controversies, was secondary to his desire to show deference to Thaksin.
"It certainly helped turn the visit of his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra last week (Dec 16) into a memorable trip.
Nonetheless, Kavi said the ongoing insurgency in southern Thailand demands attention, as both nations have a shared interest in resolving this longstanding conflict.
The veteran journalist believed that "if Anwar succeeds in these efforts during Malaysia's Asean chairmanship, he will become a legendary leader in this part of the world”.
"These days, any visible effort to promote peace, national reconciliation, racial harmony, and freedom of expression would attract nominations for prestigious awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Bilaterally, Kavi said a closer collaboration between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur would yield significant political dividends, too.
Now, the two countries can set a new standard in regional partnerships by tackling the southern problem as they did successfully during the communist scare of the 1970s.
Furthermore, Kavi said Anwar is keen to increase Malaysia's profile and his role on the global stage.
"Now is the time for Anwar to act and boost Malaysia and Asean's interests. He has shown his eagerness to lead the bloc in all multifaceted areas,” wrote Kavi.
Apart from key Asean related summits, Kavi said Anwar has already scheduled a tripartite summit between the bloc, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and China.
The Asean-GCC leaders had their first summit in Saudi Arabia in 2023.
"The upcoming May summit would further raise his and Asean's profile on the broader geopolitical landscape,” he said.
Kavi highlighted that Anwar's leadership during Malaysia's Asean chairmanship presented an opportunity to reshape regional dynamics and assert Kuala Lumpur's influence with his advisory team providing support.
"He is well-positioned to take on these surmountable challenges; however, success will depend on addressing domestic issues like sustaining economic growth, handling identity politics, solving the Rohingya crisis, and fostering closer ties with neighbours like Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.
"If Anwar can capitalise on these opportunities, he could elevate Malaysia's standing in ASEAN and secure his legacy as a transformative leader on the global stage,” he concluded.
The whole article can be read at https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/2925877/malaysias-asean-chair-with-a-twist. - Bernama
