PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar asserts that Southeast Asia needs bridge-building voices to navigate global tensions, defending Malaysia’s diplomatic approach.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Southeast Asian region requires voices that build bridges rather than deepen divides amid heightened global tensions, according to PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar.
She stated that Malaysia would continue to pursue diplomacy with clarity, conviction, and independence as engagement is essential for safeguarding regional stability and energy security.
Nurul Izzah emphasised that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s engagement on such matters is rooted in protecting the wider interests of the region, adding that to suggest otherwise would undermine the tools that have long preserved peace.
“Malaysia has consistently upheld the principle that diplomacy must be exercised, not abandoned,” she said in a statement.
She further declared that Malaysia will not be lectured on the merits of engagement, choosing dialogue because history shows disengagement invites escalation.
Her remarks were issued in response to Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan’s recent rejection of negotiations with Iran concerning the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.