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Asian Angle | Free trade to Uygurs, Anwar’s visit has a message for China
- Malaysia’s prime-minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim is on an official trip to China
- The tenor of his visit carries a simple yet profound message – one of inclusivity
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In May this year, Malaysia opened a new chapter in its history books when voters chose change and elected the Pakatan Harapan coalition into office. The new government has demonstrated clearly that it has not forsaken its partners, and one in particular: China.
This is evident, even more so, with the visit to the dragon state by Anwar Ibrahim, a member of parliament tipped to take over power from Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.
First, to address the elephant in the room – the cancellation of the East Coast Rail Line and two gas pipelines as well as the postponement of the High-Speed Rail link with Singapore. Though these moves may have irked Chinese leaders, it cannot be emphasised enough that the decisions were made primarily with the government’s bleeding coffers in mind.
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The irresponsible nature of the deals – which were hammered out under the former prime minister Najib Razak – and the structure of their financing necessitated a serious review. The projects were to cost taxpayers billions of ringgit.
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Nevertheless, the review of these projects should not be misconstrued as dialling back years of positive relations between these two great nations.
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