KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 22): BRICS countries are supportive of Malaysia’s wish to join the grouping, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“We are very fortunate that they (BRICS members) are supportive of Malaysia’s application, although it is yet to be decided whether Malaysia will join BRICS,” Anwar told India Today Global in an exclusive interview.

The interview was held in conjunction with his three-day official visit to India, which concluded on Wednesday.

He also said in the interview that Malaysia is still in the early stage of the BRICS membership process, whereby country representatives will finalise direct participation during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.

“Malaysia will be a BRICS ‘partner country’ first before full participation is finalised,” he explained.

BRICS was established in 2009 as a platform for emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates were admitted into the organisation in January 2024.

Earlier, Anwar noted that his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi had agreed to support Malaysia’s bid to join the group, reinforcing the growing collaboration between the two nations.

On June 18, Anwar confirmed that he had expressed Malaysia’s wish to join BRICS to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Meanwhile, Anwar said Malaysia had prioritised strengthening its collaboration with India, namely in the fields of palm oil and emerging sectors like digitalisation and technology. He also reiterated Malaysia’s commitment to supporting India’s efforts to increase its palm oil production. “India has independent and professional views on palm oil, and certain companies have conducted their research to defend their position (when it comes to palm oil),” he told India Today Global. 

The prime minister was also asked about Malaysia’s first-mover advantage in the semiconductor industry.

“We have a first-mover advantage in the semiconductor industry, and we have built an ecosystem in Penang,” he said. 

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