KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told Al Jazeera in an interview that he views Taiwan as "part of China, period," and added that this position was "accepted by all." The remarks sparked scrutiny over whether Malaysia is departing from the non-aligned foreign policy it has maintained for decades.
The more pointed moment came when the interviewer asked Anwar whether he would condemn China if Beijing resorted to military force after peaceful reunification efforts failed. Anwar responded by drawing a direct parallel to Malaysia's own territorial integrity: if a Malaysian state attempted to break away, he said, he would use force to "protect the sanctity and unity of" Malaysia. The implication—that China's use of force against Taiwan would be comparable and therefore defensible—was not lost on either Beijing or Taipei.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised the remarks, with a spokesman reaffirming that Taiwan is "an inalienable part of China's territory" and that "China must and will be reunited." The public endorsement of a sitting Southeast Asian leader's comments was notable, though the language tracked Beijing's standard position.
Taiwan's government condemned Anwar's statements and issued a specific economic warning: his "one-sided support for China could negatively impact Taiwanese businesses' confidence in investing in Malaysia." That warning carries weight. Taiwan is the world's largest producer of semiconductors, and Taiwanese firms are major investors in Malaysia's semiconductor industry—one of the country's most important economic sectors.
Facing domestic media questions after the Al Jazeera interview aired, Anwar softened his position. He said Malaysia respects China's stance on Taiwan but favors a peaceful resolution to tensions in the Taiwan Strait—a framing closer to the traditional Malaysian line of acknowledging, rather than endorsing, Beijing's claims.
Days after the Al Jazeera interview, Anwar called for strengthening Malaysia's defences in Sabah, the Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. He cited the expansion of U.S.-backed military infrastructure in the neighbouring Philippines as part of his reasoning. The Philippine government is upgrading military facilities on Balabac island, which sits 50 kilometres from the Malaysian islands of Banggi and Balambangan. Washington added Balabac to the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement—the bilateral framework that grants U.S. forces access to designated locations across the Philippines—earlier this year.
Anwar's pointed reference to U.S. military positioning in the Philippines as a driver for Malaysian rearmament reinforced the perception among Western analysts that Kuala Lumpur is recalibrating its strategic orientation. Malaysia has traditionally avoided framing its defence decisions in terms of great-power competition.
The backdrop to both episodes is China's expanding economic footprint in Malaysia. Beijing is now Malaysia's largest trade partner, and Malaysia has been among the more receptive countries in Southeast Asia to Chinese investment, including financing and projects under China's Belt and Road Initiative. Critics of Anwar's positions argue that deepening economic interdependence with China is pulling Malaysian foreign policy toward Beijing's preferences.
Anwar's government has also taken strong public stances on the Middle East that diverge from Western positions. Malaysia under Anwar has been a vocal critic of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, a stance that has widened the gap between Kuala Lumpur and several Western governments.
Analysts who follow Southeast Asian geopolitics argue that Anwar's Taiwan comments, while unusually direct, reflect domestic political considerations as much as a foreign policy shift. They note that Malaysia's broader pattern of engaging both Washington and Beijing has not changed. Malaysia has not curtailed security cooperation with Western partners, and its non-alignment doctrine retains broad domestic support across political parties.
The episode nonetheless puts pressure on that doctrine. Non-alignment has served Malaysia as a way to attract investment and avoid entanglement in great-power disputes. Anwar's Al Jazeera remarks and his partial walkback illustrate the difficulty of sustaining studied ambiguity at a moment when China and the United States are both pressing regional governments for clearer positions.
