Separately, Syaza also gave the example of the joint declaration on peace and security between Cambodia and Thailand that was witnessed by Trump and Anwar as proof of the Malaysian prime minister’s credibility.
The two Southeast Asian neighbours had been locked in a border dispute, with tensions escalating in July into their deadliest military clashes in decades.
Trump had presided over the signing of the agreement by Thailand Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet on Oct 26 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, with the deal witnessed by Anwar.
During Sunday’s signing of the joint declaration, Trump paid tribute to Anwar’s role in resolving the dispute during tense border clashes in July.
“I called him right at the beginning, and said, you know, you have two countries that are fighting right next to you,” said Trump.
“We need a third place. We need a sort of neutral place, right! And he was there.”
While Trump had called the deal the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord”, Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow avoided the term at a press conference after the signing, saying only that the declaration had put the two countries “on the pathway towards peace”.
Meanwhile, Khoo believed that Malaysia has projected itself as a credible facilitator amid the US-China rivalry and regional security tensions.
“What is clear now is that ASEAN has to some extent successfully extended its role to the Global South,” she said.
The Global South is a term used to describe countries in the developing world, primarily those situated in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, characterised by their focus on economic growth and growing influence in global affairs.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/malaysia-asean-anwar-ibrahim-donald-trump-5432306
