Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was facing numerous challenges at home. Last week’s protest demanded his resignation. His Madani government remained stable despite reports of fracturing. Economic complaints over reforms mounted daily. Then a regional crisis handed him a magic wand.
When Thailand and Cambodia clashed and exchanged artillery fire, Anwar saw an opportunity in his role as ASEAN chair. He positioned himself as a peacemaker. The gamble paid off spectacularly. Here are four wins (double win-win strategies) that transformed both his political fortunes and ASEAN's global profile.
The first win is the extension of Anwar’s political lifeline. His domestic troubles were real. Demonstrators filled the streets weekly. His fragile ruling coalition showed cracks. Critics slammed his economic policies.
The Thai-Cambodian border dispute changed everything. Using his good office as ASEAN chair, he stepped in as a mediator, projecting the statesmanship he desperately needed. Suddenly, he wasn't just Malaysia's embattled leader—he was Southeast Asia's peacemaker.
The transformation was dramatic. Malaysian media celebrated his diplomacy. Even opposition figures grudgingly admitted he had pulled off a "foreign policy coup." Crisis became opportunity.
The second win is the boosting of ASEAN centrality and relevance. Major powers often ridicule ASEAN as a talk shop without action. The ceasefire deal—which still holds—changed that narrative.
Anwar used his chairmanship to show ASEAN could broker peace when it mattered. He didn’t just convene meetings; he actively facilitated the entire process. The message is clear: ASEAN is doing a somersault. It just needs decisive leadership.
The third win is breaking the deadlock of Thailand-Cambodia armed clashes. Previous confrontations from 2008 to 2011 saw Thailand refuse ASEAN mediation entirely.
This time was different. Anwar broke protocol by bringing both leaders to Kuala Lumpur for face-to-face talks. Thai acting PM Phumtham Wechayachai met Cambodia's Hun Manet in an unprecedented direct dialogue.
The fourth win is balancing the two most important players for ASEAN—the US and China. Perhaps most remarkably, Anwar got both the US and China to witness the ceasefire talks.
These superpowers rarely collaborate on anything these days. Yet both sent envoys to support the ASEAN chair’s initiative.
President Trump's role was typically blunt during his visit to Scotland. He threatened 36 percent tariffs on both Thailand and Cambodia if they did not agree to a ceasefire. The ultimatum worked—talks began within 43 hours.
China played it differently but no less importantly. Beijing expressed its readiness to assist its regional friends in achieving a peaceful solution.
China praised Malaysia's "constructive leadership" and quietly supported the process. Both powers were present, but neither dominated—exactly what ASEAN wanted.
Anwar's balancing act was particularly impressive given his recent regular vitriol against Washington. He has been vocal about Gaza (more so than Indonesia), criticizing both Israeli and US policy.
The Muslim majority in the region and beyond welcomed his views, but they irritated American officials.
Yet when crisis struck, he pivoted smoothly to pragmatic broker. He dialed down ideology and focused on results. His diplomatic dexterity was on full display.
Under ASEAN rules, the chair can convene crisis consultations. But Anwar went further. He pushed for rapid, leader-level interventions that could become the new norm.
Normally, under the ASEAN Charter, foreign ministers would meet first and then make recommendations to their leaders.
The Kuala Lumpur precedent matters, especially as it came shortly after the adoption of the new ASEAN Community Vision 2045 at the end of May. Anwar’s next regional challenge is to make “substantial progress” on the Myanmar crisis.
He has already met both the military junta and the National Unity Government. Indeed, the next rotational ASEAN chairs now have a playbook for more assertive leadership when regional stability is at stake. Is the Philippines, the next chair, ready?
The ceasefire may be temporary. Long-standing border disputes and historical grievances remain unresolved. But halting the violence under ASEAN's watch was a major achievement.
Anwar took real risks. Domestic protests continued while he focused on foreign policy. Critics accused him of using diplomacy to distract from problems at home—rising costs, ethnic tensions, policy gridlock.
But the optics were powerful. Photos of Anwar seated between Thai and Cambodian leaders, with US and Chinese envoys watching (akin to a scene from Justice Bao), conveyed exactly the statesmanlike authority he needed.
Whether this secures his position at home remains unclear. Malaysian politics are notoriously unpredictable. But on the regional stage, PMX just had his finest hour.
This extraordinary event shows what ASEAN can achieve with active, credible leadership. The bloc's strength does not lie in its bureaucracy but depends heavily on the vision of the rotating chair.
After all, Anwar is an old and astute ASEAN hand. Truth be told, Anwar understood this perfectly. He saw that regional dynamics and global shifts had created an opening. He seized it with both hands.
For ASEAN, it reminds us that actions speak louder than words—and louder than all the annual joint communiqués. For Anwar, it is proof that skilled diplomacy can transform political fortunes. For the region, it is hoped that ASEAN-led solutions can still work in Trump's world.
Nobody knows if this sense of déjà vu and unity can last. But at least, today, ASEAN is back on the world’s radar.
