KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is one of the two countries that saw the greatest increase in diplomatic influence, according to the Lowy Institute's Key Findings Report 2024.
The 2024 edition of the Asian Power Index report states that Malaysia recorded an increase of 9.1 percentage points, behind the Philippines, which recorded an increase of 12.1 percentage points.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is also much more active at the international level.
"Both (Malaysia and the Philippines) are led by new leaders and are diplomatically active," according to the report.
"Together with the foreign minister, Anwar held 72 bilateral meetings with countries in the Index, improving Malaysia's position from 11th to 5th in this indicator of diplomatic activity," he added.
According to the report, Malaysia's ranking for regional leadership rose two places to 12th, and global leadership rose one place to 15th.
The annual Asian Power Index, launched by the Lowy Institute in 2018, measures resources and influence to determine the relative power position of countries in Asia. The project maps the existing distribution of power and tracks shifts in the balance of power over time.
The index ranks 27 countries and territories in terms of their ability to shape their external environment. Its scope reaches as far west as Pakistan, as far north as Russia, and as far into the Pacific as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
The 2024 edition is the most comprehensive assessment of the changing power distribution in Asia to date. It also included Timor-Leste for the first time, reflecting its growing importance due to its possible participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in the coming years.
The Lowy Institute's Asia Power Index comprises eight power measures, 30 thematic sub-measures and 131 indicators. More than half of these indicators involve original Lowy Institute research, while the rest are drawn from hundreds of publicly accessible national and international sources. – Bernama
