KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — The decision for Malaysia to be a BRICS member will be driven by Putrajaya, said Malaysia’s Ambassador to Russia Datuk Cheong Loon Lai.
“I believe it is still too early for me to provide comments (on the matter),” he said when contacted by Bernama yesterday.
Cheong said this when asked to comment on Malaysia’s intention of joining the group, as revealed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Monday.
Speaking in an interview with Chinese media outlet Guancha, Anwar reportedly said Malaysia will initiate the formal process to join the bloc soon.
“We have made our policy clear and we have made our decision,” added Anwar.
BRICS, initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, was established in 2009 as a cooperative platform for emerging economies.
In January 2024, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates joined the grouping.
While Moscow welcomes new members to BRICS, it said countries seeking to join the group should not participate in illegal unilateral sanctions.
Asked on Malaysia-Russia bilateral ties, Cheong said Malaysia’s Embassy in Moscow is optimistic Malaysia-Russia bilateral ties, especially trade, will strengthen in coming years.
He said Malaysia-Russia relations are good now, and both countries will remain engaged.
“Malaysia’s bilateral trade with Russia continues to grow steadily, despite the challenging global economic landscape.
“Total trade stood at US$3.11 billion (RM14.65 billion) in 2023, as compared with US$2.79 billion in 2022,” he said.
Elaborating on Malaysia-Russia ties, Cheong said such positive development was reflected through high participation in the XV Russia-Islamic World-KazanForum 2024 in Tatarstan, Russia, last month.
During the forum, Malaysia set up a pavilion promoting various sectors including the halal industry, education, agriculture and food and beverages products.
Malaysia’s participation in KazanForum this year was more significant than the previous year, he said.
Cheong said a delegation from Tatarstan will participate in the 20th Malaysia International Halal Showcase, which will be hosted by the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry in September.
On people’s movement between the two countries, he said Malaysia witnessed a remarkable increase of Russian tourist arrivals in 2023, with 109,689 visitors, marking an outstanding growth of 232.4 per cent from the previous year.
“This significant surge underscores the continued and growing appeal of Malaysia as a preferred destination among Russian travellers.
“Tourism Malaysia is projecting a 30 per cent growth from the Russian market this year, with an expected total of 140,000 arrivals,” Cheong said.
He said the DE Rantau Nomad Pass, a type of Professional Visit Pass newly established to allow foreign digital nomads to travel and work in Malaysia, has also been very popular with the Russians.
In 2023, Russian professionals emerged as one of the top three holders of this pass, he said.
The programme was set up under Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation to establish Malaysia as the preferred digital nomad hub in Southeast Asia, while boosting digital adoption and promoting digital professional mobility and tourism across the country.
— Bernama
