Malaysia has formally notified BRICS of its desire to join the association and is awaiting a response, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told TASS on the sidelines of the concluded ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur.
“We have informed them. We are awaiting their response,” he stated when asked about next steps toward membership.
The announcement follows Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's earlier assurance during his state visit to Malaysia that the country “can count on Brazil's full support” for its bid to become a full BRICS member.
While not currently a full member, Malaysia already participates in joint initiatives with BRICS nations in areas such as trade, energy and infrastructure development.
Originally established in 2006 with Brazil, Russia, India, and China, BRICS expanded to include South Africa in 2011. The group welcomed Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Ethiopia as full members on January 1, 2024, followed by Indonesia on January 6, 2025. Malaysia became a BRICS partner country on January 1, 2025, alongside Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan, with Nigeria joining on January 17 and Vietnam on June 14 of the same year.
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Photo: official website of the Rais RT
Based on materials from TASS