PETALING JAYA: Malaysia will not allow others to dictate how it should make any decisions and plan its future direction, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
He said as a free and independent nation, Malaysia will always defend its sovereignty and decide what is best for the country, Bernama reported.
“Nobody should dictate us. As a free and independent nation, we will decide what is best for us.
“We should also maintain this position in Asean because Asean was set up as a free and neutral zone,” he said in response to a question on the current rivalry and tensions between China and the United States. He was speaking at a public lecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
Anwar, who is currently on a four-day official trip to China, said he has been seen as pro-China.
However, as a trading nation, he said Malaysia wants to build excellent relationships with all countries, including the US.
He said Malaysia does not see China as a competitor nor a threat although there may be some disagreements between the two countries.
“Since there is no outright threat from China, we are happy to be a good neighbour, a friend and to benefit from their success,” he said.
Anwar said China and the US must also understand that the dynamics of international diplomacy today has changed and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict is affecting the whole world.
“The period of colonisation and new imperialism is gone. No country can dictate to another. People want to assert their independence and decide what is best for themselves and their country,” he added.