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Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein clarifies controversial ‘older brother’ remark during China visit
- Hishammuddin wrote on Twitter that his remark was directed to his counterpart Wang Yi after he was criticised for appearing subordinate to China
- Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim demanded Hishamuddin apologise for the remark, claiming it ‘seemingly implies Malaysia is a puppet to a foreign power’
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Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Saturday sought to clarify a remark made during his trip to China this week that appeared to suggest he viewed Beijing as a “big brother”, saying the remark was directed at his counterpart Wang Yi.
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The Malaysian foreign minister wrote on Twitter that he “was not referring to our bilateral relations, as strong [Malaysia-China] ties are based on mutual trust and equality.
“Respecting that Wang Yi is older, and a more senior foreign minister, hence ‘elder brother’ to me personally. Being respectful does not signify weakness,” Hishammuddin wrote.
“Rest assured that Malaysia remains independent, principled and pragmatic in terms of our foreign policy – founded on the values of peace, humanity, justice and equality. We will continue to contribute meaningfully towards a just and equitable community of nations.”
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Clips of Hishammuddin’s remarks – made during a press conference on Thursday following a bilateral meeting in Fujian – elicited negative reactions from some Malaysia social media users and diplomatic observers.
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