Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia revealed that the country is formally applying to join BRICS, the international organisation initially made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

According to The Star, Anwar said during an interview with a Shanghai media outlet that Malaysia will shortly launch the "formal process".

He added that they are waiting for feedback and a "final decision" from the government of South Africa.

Building BRICS

BRIC (without South Africa) was originally a term coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill in 2001 to identify what he saw as rising economic powers.

This was later used as the basis for the BRICS organisation, which held its first summit in 2009.

The organisation added Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates in 2023.

Anwar said Malaysia's strategic position along the South China Sea shipping lane would be important to BRICS.

He also slammed the West's "control" of global discourse and said that independent countries should be free to express themselves.

China is an important trade partner for Malaysia and Anwar has made multiple official trips to China since assuming office in November 2022, often talking up investments from China in Malaysia.

Top image from Anwar Ibrahim's Facebook page.