By Wong Chun Wai
The spotlight will be on Malaysia when the country hosts the Asean Summit this weekend with a large turnout of world leaders, including US president Donald Trump.
To date, only two US presidents have visited Malaysia – Lyndon B Johnson in 1966 and Barack Obama twice, once in April 2014 and again in November 2015.
For Malaysia and for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, this historic event goes beyond ceremony – it has to be more than just a diplomatic photo opportunity.
Besides Trump, top representatives from across the globe, including China, Japan, Russia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, are also attending, making it one of the largest and most significant international gatherings ever hosted by Malaysia.
A total of 2,854 media personnel from 290 agencies from within and outside the country have registered to cover the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits.
It represents a convergence of diplomacy, trade advantage and global branding that could shape the country’s trajectory for years.
There are plenty of issues that Asean and major world leaders want to discuss. From trade tariffs to regional economic cooperation, to even Palestine.
Then, there are side and bilateral meetings that leaders want, with programmes still being arranged.
Malaysian ministers and business delegations will want to engage with their counterparts, explore investments, anchor supply chains and secure trade deals.
What better place than in Kuala Lumpur, where these trade and foreign relations issues can be brought up face to face.
A global stage is set for Malaysia where our diplomacy is seen as open, relevant and credible.
Although our term as the Asean chairman just spans a year, we have proven to the region and the world that we have played an effective and meaningful leadership role.
This kind of visibility brings value – foreign direct investment, diplomatic goodwill and global media attention.
Anwar is looking forward to meeting Trump with one major agenda item – how the US can ease or address tariffs and economic matters, in particular to maintain the zero tariffs for electrical and electronic components.
While economic and political ties are important, this is an opportunity to emphasise our Malaysian values and Global South initiatives, which must be respected.
We maintain our independent voice and defend principles of justice, inclusivity and multilateral rules-based system, including our concerns over the grave situation affecting Palestinians in Gaza, while engaging with the US, an important trading partner for Malaysia.
But credit must be given to Anwar, for his extensive global reach with world leaders. His personal relations with these powerful personalities, through his “telephone diplomacy”, have been effective and unprecedented in our nation’s foreign relations conduct. It is unmatched.
Malaysia may be just a small middle-income nation, but Anwar has positioned Malaysia as an active “bridge” between major powers, emerging blocs and regional dynamics.
As the Asean chair, he has emphasised the regional bloc’s centrality, regional cohesion, and Malaysia’s role in shaping the architecture of Southeast Asia.
In so doing, Anwar strengthens his personal political standing and Malaysia’s standing simultaneously.
Malaysia’s ability to host a summit with a large presence of world leaders signals that we remain relevant and autonomous, and our ability to convene, to mediate, to stand as a regional hub of cooperation.
By bringing the world to Malaysia and using the summit to highlight Malaysian priorities and values such as poverty eradication, inclusivity and the digital economy, he reinforces his domestic credentials, as one report put it.
“Hosting smoothly – logistics, security, hospitality – will bolster public perception of Malaysia’s competence.
“If the summit is seen as successful, it translates into political capital: Malaysia is shown to be mature, stable and outward-looking under Anwar’s leadership,” it added.
But substance and results must be seen beyond the grandeur. There has to be a return on investment. The spotlight has to be converted into tangible economic and diplomatic returns.
Certainly, Malaysia hopes the summit will mark a strategic inflection point for our nation.
This is a chance to show what Malaysia stands for and can do, as we stand proudly in the eyes of the world. It is certainly a great prelude for Visit Malaysia 2026 as the world looks at Malaysia.
Wong Chun Wai is a national journalism laureate and Bernama chairman.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
