KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s bid to join BRICS has taken a major step forward with the country now officially recognised as a partner country of the intergovernmental bloc.
According to an update from @BRICSInfo on X, the bloc officially added 13 nations as partner countries, though not as full members yet.
The 12 other nations are Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Turkiye, Uganda and Uzbekistan, Bernama reported.
Russia currently chairs the bloc founded in 2009 with Brazil, India and China, with South Africa joining a year later, to be a cooperation platform for emerging economies. The bloc has since expanded to include Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had on July 28 confirmed that Malaysia submitted an application to Russia to join BRICS, which accounts for one-fifth of global trade.
Anwar also confirmed Malaysia’s intention to join BRICS during a discussion with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on June 18.
The matter was also discussed during a bilateral meeting between Anwar and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia, where the Prime Minister attended the Ninth Eastern Economic Forum.
During their meeting, Anwar accepted an invitation by Putin for Malaysia to participate in the BRICS Outreach/BRICS Plus Summit, which took place in Kazan, Russia, yesterday.
Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli was scheduled to deliver Malaysia’s national statement.
The Prime Minister had said that the invitation was a clear testament of Malaysia’s importance to Russia and marked a significant step towards the country’s ultimate goal of joining the group of emerging economies.
Anwar said Malaysia was committed to the Global South and its potential membership in BRICS would be of strategic importance given the Strait of Malacca’s position as an important shipping lane connecting the Pacific and Indian oceans. He said he was relieved that the world was no longer unipolar, with BRICS providing a ray of hope on checks and balances in the world.
BRICS represents about 40% of the global population and accounts for a cumulative GDP of US$26.6 trillion, or 26.2% of the world’s GDP, nearly matching the economic strength of the G7, an informal grouping of seven of the world’s advanced economies.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry said Malaysia’s intention to join BRICS is part of the country’s efforts to uphold its independent and neutral policies, balance global power dynamics and create new business and investment opportunities.
The ministry said Malaysia’s membership would further enhance its presence on the international stage, particularly in addressing pressing global challenges.
“Membership in BRICS will complement Malaysia’s active role in various regional and international cooperation networks, including Asean, the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Group of 77 + China,” it said on the Parliament website.
The ministry reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to advancing the Global South agenda by expanding South-South cooperation. It added that the BRICS platform could further strengthen collaboration among Global South nations, particularly during Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship next year.
