Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim is preparing for what could be one of the most delicate diplomatic encounters of his tenure - his debut meeting in person with US President Donald Trump at the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur next month. Anwar has already signaled that he intends to use the occasion to voice Malaysia’s solidarity with Palestine, condemn Israel’s ongoing attacks, and raise international concern over the strike on Qatar earlier this month.
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At the Extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit in Doha, Anwar declared that Malaysia, as ASEAN chair, must seize the opportunity to amplify the plight of the Palestinians and the violation of Qatar’s sovereignty. He called for severe punitive measures against Israel, urging Arab nations to sever both diplomatic and trade relations. His language was sharp, his position unambiguous: Malaysia would not compromise on issues of justice, sovereignty, and humanitarian protection.
But this sets the stage for a highly unpredictable meeting. Unlike previous Malaysian leaders who had varying degrees of rapport with American presidents, Anwar has never met Trump face-to-face. This debut encounter comes with no established warmth or trust between them - and therein lies the risk. Trump is famously unpredictable; he thrives on transactional politics and has a history of reacting sharply when confronted with views that challenge his stance.
The question looming over Kuala Lumpur is simple: will Trump view Anwar’s moral stand as courageous leadership, or as unwelcome defiance from a smaller nation? Knowing Trump’s temperament, he could easily take offense and pivot against Malaysia, potentially straining bilateral ties or complicating economic cooperation. Such capricious is the tiger Anwar is about to wake.
At the same time, Anwar cannot retreat. Domestically, his insistence on defending Palestine and condemning Israel is a popular and expected position that strengthens his legitimacy at home. Regionally, Malaysia’s leadership in ASEAN demands that it project moral clarity and stand with countries like Qatar under attack. Internationally, the presence of leaders such as Xi Jinping, Lula da Silva, and Cyril Ramaphosa means Anwar’s voice could resonate beyond ASEAN, positioning Malaysia as a champion of justice on the global stage.
Anwar’s move is brave - and blunt. He is choosing to ‘wake the tiger’ of great-power politics to spotlight Gaza and the Doha strike. Whether that tiger will roar support for justice or bite back at Malaysia’s strategic and economic interests depends on how Anwar converts moral rhetoric into careful, concrete diplomacy at the ASEAN table in Kuala Lumpur.
This makes the upcoming summit not just another high-level meeting, but a test of whether Malaysia can combine principle with pragmatism. Anwar’s debut with Trump will reveal if Malaysia’s fiery stand for Gaza and Qatar can win respect - or if waking the tiger will face unintended damage on Malaysia and the world stage.
By: Kpost
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