Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and Prime Minister’s Office have not officially confirmed the members of this informal team. CNA’s queries to these entities remain unanswered.
On Feb 2, Anwar posted on Facebook that he had met Thaksin and Yeo over dinner to discuss the situation in Myanmar as well as developments in cryptocurrency, among other “key matters” in the region.
Also pictured at the dinner was Malaysia’s Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) chairman Mohd Faiz Abdullah, although he was not identified by name in Anwar’s post. A representative from the think tank could not respond to CNA’s queries on Mohd Faiz’s involvement at the meeting and the issues that were discussed.
On Thursday, in response to a question on whether Malaysia would use Thaksin’s influence to help resolve conflicts in Myanmar and southern Thailand, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan stressed that Thaksin is an adviser to Anwar and not ASEAN.
“It’s not just Thaksin; he’s just one of them. The chair (of ASEAN) will also appoint others from other countries as advisers,” Mohamad said.
“(This includes) senior elder statesmen from Singapore, Laos and others. The Sultan of Brunei has also given the green light – he is the longest-serving ASEAN leader, and he is open to giving advice anytime.”
But an academic’s criticism of the early stages of Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship has thrust Anwar’s moves into the spotlight, sparking dismissals on Wednesday from ruling coalition lawmakers.
IS THAKSIN THE RIGHT MAN?
In a commentary titled “Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship is off to a disappointing start” first published on Benar News on Jan 29, Bridget Welsh, an honorary research fellow at the University of Nottingham Malaysia’s Asia Research Institute, argued that “Malaysia’s chairmanship risks the potential of being too much about Anwar, and not enough about ASEAN”.
“For example, Anwar’s personal choice of ally and former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an ASEAN adviser did not go down well in a politically divided Thailand. Nor did it recognise that Thaksin’s interventions around the Myanmar crisis have not helped,” she wrote.
The commentary was picked up by several other news outlets before triggering spirited rebuttals from three members of parliament belonging to the Pakatan Harapan coalition led by Anwar.
Thaksin’s appointment was a strategic move given his extensive experience in regional politics and economic diplomacy, Bakri MP Tan Hong Pin shot back. Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung said Anwar was making an “astute” decision to engage someone with credentials in dealing with issues in Indochina and Myanmar.
“I wonder who this foreign academic Bridget Welsh is to keep slamming the Madani government and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” said Jelutong MP RSN Rayer in a statement.
“(Thaksin) is a man who has been a force in the region for three decades and whose daughter is currently the Thai prime minister. Of course he will have some influence, some economic clout and good ideas to boost regional cooperation.”
