Malaysia is awaiting an official response from the BRICS alliance after formally submitting its application to become a full member of the expanding economic bloc, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed during the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
“We have informed them. We are awaiting their response,” Anwar told reporters, noting that Malaysia’s move reflects its commitment to strengthening partnerships with emerging economies across the Global South.
Malaysia’s bid has already received strong backing from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who declared during his state visit to Kuala Lumpur that the Southeast Asian nation “can count on Brazil’s full support” in its efforts to join BRICS. The endorsement from one of BRICS’ founding members significantly bolsters Malaysia’s prospects.
China has also responded positively to Malaysia’s ambitions. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasized that BRICS remains an “important platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries.”
He added, “BRICS values the active willingness of Global South partners to participate in BRICS cooperation and welcomes Malaysia and more like-minded partners to join, working together to promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction.”
Malaysia already holds partner status within BRICS—a designation it gained on January 1, 2025—and has been working with member states on trade, energy, and infrastructure initiatives.
Founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011, the BRICS bloc expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Iran, the UAE, and Ethiopia, and welcomed Indonesia as a full member in early 2025. Malaysia’s potential accession would further enhance the group’s economic footprint across Southeast Asia.
