In the latest episode of his podcast Yang Berhenti Menteri, former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli took a subtle jab at Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unusually warm welcome for Donald Trump, saying that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would have handled things very differently.
According to Rafizi, if it were Mahathir greeting the US President, “he wouldn’t have danced.” The comment came as a veiled criticism of Anwar’s lighthearted moment at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on October 26, where both he and Trump were caught on video swaying to a traditional dance performance. The clip quickly went viral, amassing tens of millions of views and sparking a flood of mixed reactions online.
On October 26, Trump landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to attend the 47th ASEAN Summit, his first-ever visit to Malaysia. As part of the official welcome, he was greeted by a troupe of traditional dancers performing a Malay cultural number at the Kompleks Bunga Raya.
In a move that no one quite expected, the former US president joined the dancers — moving awkwardly, yet enthusiastically — to the beat. Standing nearby, Anwar Ibrahim, smiling broadly, joined in with a few light-hearted movements of his own.
Within hours, the video clip of Trump and Anwar “joget-ing” side by side went viral, amassing tens of millions of views and drawing a tidal wave of comments across social media platforms. Some Malaysians celebrated it as a charming show of diplomacy and cultural friendliness. Others saw it as a symbolic misstep — a dance too close, both literally and figuratively, to an American leader whose policies have brought immense suffering to Palestinians.
Rafizi clearly fell in the latter camp.
Rafizi noted that global leaders, especially in Europe, have been distancing themselves from Washington’s unwavering support for Israel’s assault on Gaza. “Even when they meet Trump, you can see the difference,” he said. “Their body language remains formal, respectful, but distant. They maintain that official boundary. When you start dancing and showing personal warmth, it sends a very different message.”
He added, “I understand that maybe Datuk Seri Anwar was caught in the moment. But if Mahathir were there, I doubt he would’ve joined in. Najib or Anwar might do it — they tend to seek validation and show international acceptance. But Mahathir would’ve kept his composure: I respect you as President of the United States, but we are not friends. I disagree with you as a person and as a policymaker.”
Rafizi pointed out that such gestures, though seemingly harmless, could send the wrong signal internationally — especially given Trump’s and the Republican Party’s stance on Palestine.
“When a Prime Minister appears overly friendly beyond the formal boundaries of diplomacy, it naturally raises questions,” Rafizi said. He even mentioned a post on X (formerly Twitter) by a Palestinian user expressing dismay over Malaysia’s warm welcome for Trump. The user, Rafizi noted, was soon attacked by some Malaysians who accused Palestinians of being ungrateful.
“I was honestly embarrassed,” he admitted. “If we were in their shoes — watching our people die every day while the same leaders backing that destruction are being warmly received — how would we feel? Of course they’d be hurt. Trump and Netanyahu are the architects of their suffering.”
Rafizi’s comments resonate beyond partisan politics. They reflect an ongoing tension between Anwar Ibrahim’s internationalist diplomacy and the moral expectations of a domestic audience that identifies deeply with the Palestinian struggle.
Anwar, known for his charisma and ease on the global stage, has made no secret of his desire to position Malaysia as a bridge between the West and the Muslim world. But in moments like this, that balancing act becomes a moral tightrope.
Rafizi’s critique, though understated, highlights the fine line between diplomacy and symbolism. In a hyperconnected world where a dance clip can travel faster than any official statement, the gestures of leaders are often interpreted as policy positions — or worse, moral endorsements.
Ultimately, the viral “joget” with Trump may soon fade into the background — Afterall, it is just another fleeting moment in the fast-moving world of social media. Yet the question Rafizi raises remains: how should Malaysia navigate its relationships with powerful but controversial global figures, without compromising our own values and principles?
TheRealNehruism (nehru.sathiamoorthy@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.
