Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivered a quiet thunderclap: BRICS 2025 is not merely a summit—it’s a historic turning point in the unfinished struggle for post-colonial justice.
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Anwar Ibrahim at the BRICS Business Forum 2025 in Rio
In Rio, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivered a quiet thunderclap: BRICS 2025 is not merely a summit—it’s a historic turning point in the unfinished struggle for post-colonial justice.
He invoked the legacy of Sukarno, Nehru, Zhou Enlai, and Nkrumah—founders of a vision long obstructed by the chokehold of Western institutions. The Non-Aligned Movement and G77 laid the groundwork, but too often the Global South was spoken about, not with. Those days, he suggested, are numbered.
What sets today’s BRICS apart, Anwar argued, is not just political will, but the convergence of state leadership with the energy of the business community, youth, women, and civil society. This is no longer about theory or protest—it’s about implementation, trade, currency sovereignty, and technological parity.
He saluted President Lula for defying the scripted roles assigned to Southern leaders and advancing a vision rooted in dignity and independence. That era—of waiting for permission from Washington or Brussels—is over. As Anwar put it, “We cannot continue complaining but not executing.”
The message was unmistakable: the Global South is no longer a passive bloc—it is a strategic South, ready to engage the world on its own terms, with its own voice, and on equal footing.
Full Speech Transcript
(Edited lightly for clarity and flow.)
It is a historic moment. For those of you who have been following the course of history, we realize that the attempt to save the voice of newly emerging economies and countries—post-colonialism—was led by Sukarno of Indonesia, Zhou Enlai of China, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, and Nkrumah of Africa.
It was a bold attempt to ensure that the voice of conscience—of those struggling for freedom and justice—would be heard. It did not achieve much success. But it was a bold attempt.
Then we had the Non-Aligned Movement. Preceding that, we had the G77—still not achieving the desired results.
Now, I salute you, President Lula, for having the courage to proceed with a clear vision, a clear commitment, to voice the concerns and aspirations of the people, particularly of the Global South.
[applause]
But why are we particularly encouraged? Because it is no longer an effort purely of political leadership. Political leaders have a role to initiate this reform. But what is spectacular about BRICS is the participation of the business community—the private sector—that complements this effort, ensuring that the voice of reason, the voice for justice, is not only heard, but also implemented.
Together with political leadership, the business community, women, youth, and the private sector—we salute you all for this effort.
[applause]
I see this conference in a more positive light. We’re not here to complain or lament those who believe in unilateral actions—tariffs, protectionism. Here, we raise a voice for multilateralism, for collaboration. We work with countries of the South, but still engage with countries in the North as friends in this new alliance.
But we want to make sure we speak from a position of strength—not as weak, ex-colonial countries, but as independent nations with a clear position. And now you see—from aerospace to AI, from food tech to green technology—you have this new strength emerging from emerging economies.
And I believe this BRICS initiative will succeed in ways that could alter and redirect the course of human history.
Thank you very much for this effort.
[applause]
I come from Malaysia. And in ASEAN, we deliberate these issues. First, we must be cohesive. We must speak as one—based on multilateral arrangements—and we must promote the principle of centrality: befriending all, supporting just causes.
But it's no longer enough to rely on rhetoric and political platitudes. What we need is concrete action.
That’s why one of ASEAN’s pillars is the business community. We must increase intra-ASEAN trade. And now, we must also increase intra-BRICS trade.
We have enormous potential, and we must act on it. Because only with that strength can we negotiate—safely, fairly, and justly—with all other partners, multilaterally.
We must demand reform: a democratic, just, international, and multilateral order—from the United Nations to the WTO, to the IMF and the World Bank.
Again, I support the position taken by President Lula—one of the few courageous leaders today—voicing the concerns of those who have long gone unheard.
So thank you, my friend.
[applause]
In ASEAN, we’ve not only worked on enhancing inter-ASEAN trade; we’ve also experimented with financial settlement systems. We’ve started using local currencies.
Of course, we’re not talking about full de-dollarization yet—that’s still a long road. But we’ve started: Malaysia with Indonesia, Malaysia with Thailand, and now also with China. Even beginning with 10 or 20% makes a difference.
We cannot continue to complain without implementing our own plans among ourselves and our friendly neighbors.
And I believe that what President Lula said—and what the chairman of the confederation emphasized—about ensuring the private sector takes these items seriously will truly make a difference.
But let me return to the central point: BRICS in 2025 is not the first attempt.
The Bandung Conference in 1955—it began when we were still struggling. No industry. No new technology. No real capacity—except for our shared humanity, our national aspirations, and political leadership.
Now, we have political leadership with vision, and we have a strong business community. I believe that this collaboration—between women and youth, between governments and the private sector, and with civil society—will make a difference.
I thank you again, Mr. President. See you in Kuala Lumpur in October.
Thank you.
[applause]
posted by Satish Sharma at
01:51
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