Speeches, Statements & International Documents

INTERVENTION NOTES

FOR YB MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

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BRICS

MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MEETING

RIO DE JANEIRO

29 APRIL 2025

 

BRICS MINISTERS OF FOREIGN

AFFAIRS MEETING

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

29 APRIL 2025

“THE ROLE OF THE GLOBAL SOUTH IN REINFORCING MULTILATERALISM”

SPEAKING TIME: SIX (6) MINUTES

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1. Thank you, Excellency Chair, for this opportunity for Malaysia to contribute. And thank you, also, for inviting us to participate in the various BRICS Meetings under your presidency.

Excellencies,

2. Recent weeks have seen a flurry of tariffs, that have sent shockwaves through the global community. Malaysia, like many here, has not been spared.

3. Many have called this development, an immense threat to multilateralism.

4. Excellencies, I must challenge that observation. It is NOT a threat, but both a revelation and an opportunity.

5. Firstly, it reveals that the global order of our modern era, is now in its last days.

6. The stability and security of the world economy, which has been a promise of the international system for so long, is now being actively undermined. And so, the rest of us must forge a new path.

7. This brings me to my second point.

8. This is an opportunity, to reshape international cooperation in ways that reflect our strengths, and better serve our needs.

9. Some might make the mistake of belittling the role of the Global South. They might say, wrongly, that the Global South countries are not worthwhile partners. But the facts say otherwise.

10. The Global South, as a collective, is becoming a key actor in global realignment.

11. ASEAN, for example, has the fifth largest economy in the world, with a combined GDP of 3.8 trillion USD, and a total population of 677 million people.

12. We offer significant purchasing power, strong export performance, and open-minded diplomacy.

13. With this emerging role in mind, Malaysia, as the Chair of ASEAN this year, is guiding the region towards unity, economic cohesion, and strategic diversification.

14. Through our commitment to an open, rules-based, and inclusive regional architecture, ASEAN is focused on strengthening intra-regional trade, developing resilient supply chains, and embracing emerging industries that place sustainability and innovation at their core.

15. We believe that the BRICS community shares our aspirations.

16. After all, BRICS is not merely a forum — it is a force for economic resilience, political balance, and social advancement.

17. Together, we have the power to reshape the contours of international cooperation – not just as critics of the outgoing system, but as the architects of a fairer one.

Excellencies,

18. Brazil’s BRICS Chairmanship priorities are timely and essential. Malaysia welcomes and supports them.

19. Firstly, on climate change, the Global South must lead a just energy transition. Climate financing must be accessible, affordable, and tailored to the needs of developing nations.

20. Cooperation on climate-smart agriculture, water management, and technologies such as carbon capture and low emission innovation, must deepen among BRICS and beyond.

21. At COP-30 in Belém, we hope for bold, inclusive steps which prove that climate action and prosperity can, and must, go hand in hand.

22. Secondly, on global health cooperation. COVID-19 taught us that no country is safe, until all countries are safe.

23. Global crises tend to reveal how fragile we truly are without true cooperation. Deep inequalities persist, driven by economic and political divides.

24. Malaysia is ready to work with BRICS to strengthen healthcare systems, share expertise, and promote sustainable, inclusive solutions through our hybrid public-private financing model, which ensures affordability and sustainability.

25. Thirdly, the digital economy. Indeed, it has reshaped how we trade, work, and innovate.

26. But without equity, the digital divide will only widen. To harness its potential, we MUST invest in digital infrastructure, and enhance digital literacy and cross-border digital trade across the Global South.

27. Lastly, on artificial intelligence (AI), Malaysia calls for responsible and inclusive AI governance. AI must bridge divides, not deepen them.

28. We welcome BRICS to collaborate with us on ethical use, data equity, and skill development – to ensure AI empowers all nations.

Excellencies,

29. Before I end my intervention, I wish reiterate Malaysia’s unequivocal support for the Palestinian people’s fundamental right to self-determination and the establishment of the sovereign State of Palestine, based on 1967 borders.

Excellencies,

30. The Global South must not be content with a passive role in global decision-making. We must be proactive, forward-looking, and united in shaping a cooperative, just world order.

31. Malaysia stands ready to work with BRICS, and all partners who share this vision.

32. The road ahead may be uncertain, but together, we can shape it with purpose.

Thank you.