Anwar Walks Back Taiwan Force Remarks After Backlash
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- Anwar Ibrahim told Al Jazeera in an Aug 16 interview that "I see Taiwan as part of China, period," and when asked whether he'd condemn Beijing using force said, "If one province decides to break away. Do we use force? I think I will, (to) protect the sanctity and unity of the nation."
- Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the remarks on Aug 18, warning that "one-sided support for China could negatively impact Taiwanese businesses' confidence in investing in Malaysia," while China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian praised Anwar on Aug 19, saying upholding the One China principle is right and China "must and will achieve reunification."
- Anwar appeared to walk back his comments in an Aug 20 doorstop interview, saying "Of course, we respect China's position, but a peaceful path is the best course" and suggesting the way the issue was framed during the interview may have contributed to the backlash.
- Malaysia's One China policy has shifted over decades: Kuala Lumpur acknowledged the PRC's position on Taiwan in 1974 under PM Razak Hussein without explicitly endorsing it, but by 2004 had moved to recognizing Taiwan as "an inalienable part" of the PRC, per academic Chong Ja Ian.
- The timing is conspicuous — Anwar is scheduled to visit China in late September, and his ruling Pakatan Harapan suffered recent state election setbacks in Johor and Negeri Sembilan as support waned among Malaysian Chinese voters.
- Chong Ja Ian of the National University of Singapore warned that Kuala Lumpur "could find its traditional strategic flexibility increasingly constrained as Washington and Beijing become more insistent that countries choose sides," while KRA Group's Amir Fareed Rahim said the remarks create "unnecessary ambiguity about Malaysia's traditional non-aligned posture."
Why it matters: Anwar is scheduled to visit China in late September and his Pakatan Harapan coalition just absorbed state-election losses in Johor and Negeri Sembilan among Malaysian Chinese voters — yet Taipei's warning that the remarks could hurt Taiwanese investor confidence now forces Kuala Lumpur to manage both a Beijing trip and a business community sensitive to perceived policy swings.
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