
Anwar criticises US-Israel bombing of Iran as wrong move
Speaking in an interview with France 24, Anwar stressed that resolving conflicts, including the Gaza crisis, requires fair multilateral negotiations rather than military aggression.
'I wasn't terribly pleased because I think the way forward is only through negotiations. They (the US) have tried to destroy Iran too many times and you should never ignore the people's resilience,' Anwar said.
He highlighted the failure of the attack to account for Iran's capacity to withstand external pressures, reiterating Malaysia's support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Anwar also criticised Western nations, including France, for demanding Iran abandon its nuclear programme while ignoring Israel's nuclear capabilities.
'If they want non-proliferation with the understanding that nuclear technology shouldn't be weaponised, that's fair. But it must be applied consistently. These contradictions and hypocrisy have become too apparent, and people no longer accept them,' he said.
Addressing accusations of bias in his foreign policy, Anwar defended his engagement with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, clarifying that his outreach was aimed at promoting ceasefire efforts, not endorsing violence.
'I was not there to provoke violence, but to support dialogue. But I won't be a lackey who condemns Hamas while remaining silent on Israel's actions,' he explained.
On the Ukraine conflict, Anwar dismissed claims of double standards, stating that Malaysia has consistently advocated for peaceful resolutions. He revealed that he had urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek an amicable solution, emphasising Malaysia's neutral stance. - Bernama

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
30 minutes ago
- The Star
Rubio to attend Asean Summit in Malaysia on Thursday
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will make his first trip to Asia since taking up his post, traveling this week to Malaysia for meetings with Asean allies, his office said Monday (July 7). The trip, starting Tuesday (July 8), will see Rubio, who is also President Donald Trump's national security advisor, focus on US policy in Asia after months of Washington concentrating on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. "In his first trip to Asia as Secretary of State, Secretary Rubio is focused on reaffirming the United States' commitment to advancing a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region," spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement, using Washington's traditional wording aimed at curbing China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Prioritizing and reaffirming Washington's commitment to East Asia and Southeast Asia "is in America's interest," a senior State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity. "It promotes American prosperity and promotes American security," the official added. As with any trip to Asia by a US official, China will be the elephant in the room amid concerns over its expansionary behavior in the South China Sea, which the United States deems to be provocative. The visit also comes as many countries around the world are waiting for the next step in Trump's tariff wars. Sweeping levies announced in April were mostly suspended, as Washington engages in negotiations with friends and foes alike. On Monday, Trump said he would impose 25% on key US allies Japan and South Korea and a handful of others, including Malaysia (25%) and Laos (40%), as of Aug 1. Export-dependent Vietnam, which like Malaysia and Laos is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), is one of the few countries to already reach a tentative agreement with Washington that spares it the high level of levies that Trump had threatened. At a summit in late May, Southeast Asian leaders expressed their deep concern at Trump's protectionist offensive. The senior US official said the issue was expected to be raised, and that Rubio would likely tell Asean that the United States wants to "rebalance" its trade relationships. A deadline on the tariffs is due to expire on Wednesday (July 9), with Trump suggesting elevated levies would snap back into place on Aug 1 for any trading partners who do not make a deal. Rubio's visit to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday (July 10) and Friday (July 11) coincides with that of his Russian and Chinese counterparts, Sergei Lavrov and Wang Yi. While there, Rubio is scheduled to attend a meeting with his counterparts from Asean and with a gathering of both Asean and East Asian foreign ministers. Last week, Rubio welcomed foreign ministers from Australia, India and Japan to Washington, where they pledged to work together to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals. China's domination of such resources - essential to new technologies - is causing increasing concern in western Europe and the United States. - AFP


Focus Malaysia
41 minutes ago
- Focus Malaysia
No prolonged oil price spike expected amid mideast conflict: Kenanga
DESPITE the recent headwinds from the Israel-Iran conflict, Kenanga decided to maintain their Brent average targets of USD64/bbl and USD67/bbl for 2025 and 2026, respectively. 'Based on the information available to us, we have previously said in our report dated 16 June 2025 that the elevated premiums could last for a quarter, and we also now believe that it is safe to assume for now that the conflict would not be sustained in a large scale for a protracted period after President Trump's call for a ceasefire,' said Kenanga. Conversely, while potential disruptions ahead cannot be entirely ruled out, we believe that OPEC still possesses higher than average spare capacities which allows room to fill up any potential supply gaps in oil production in the event of conflicts in the Middle East. Kenanga concur with the EIA's forecast of a year-on-year global oil demand increase of 0.8m barrels per day (bpd) in 2025, improving to 1.1m bpd in 2026. On the supply side, the EIA projects an increase of 1.6m bpd of which OPEC+ has already restored 1.4 mil bpd between April and July 2025. The research house estimates that approximately 0.8 mil bpd remains to be unwound, with OPEC+ currently deliberating whether to accelerate the full unwinding by October 2025, contrary to its earlier plan of completing it by March 2026. For now, Kenanga maintain the base case assumption that the full unwinding will occur in March 2026, as OPEC+ is likely to avoid placing undue pressure on the oil market through a steep supply increase, assuming no further geopolitical disruptions arise. Unlike the Arab Spring-induced oil price rally, we believe any sharp near-term spikes in Brent crude prices are likely to be short -lived, given OPEC's above-average spare capacity to offset potential supply disruptions. For context, in addition to the ongoing unwinding of 2m barrels per day (bpd ) cut, OPEC+ retains two further tranches of production cuts: a 1.65m bpd voluntary cut by eight members (scheduled to end in late 2026), and a broader 2.2m bpd cut across all members, also extending through end-2026. While there is currently no indication that OPEC+ will unwind these cuts prematurely, the group's capacity to respond to global supply instability within 60 to 90 days provides a buffer against sustained price surges. As such, we do not anticipate a durable upcycle in Brent crude prices materialising in 2025 or 2026. We maintain that upstream activities, despite lower YoY, are still at a decent level overall as contractors are still executing their remaining order book, which has been built up significantly in the past few years. Beyond that, we anticipate higher uncertainty in FY26F earnings outlook as upstream spending might be tepid by Petronas amid the still unresolved PETROS-Petronas saga and uncertain global crude price outlook. This is also evident as Petronas has announced publicly its intention to reduce its staff force by 10% ( indicating the group's cautious outlook in the medium term. This, in confluence with Brent prices likely to range between USD60-70/bbl for the next two years, would result in lower appetite for upstream capex spending in FY26. Since 2022, the KL Energy Index (KLENG) has been trading at approximately 9x forward PER, reflecting a period of strong earnings expansion across the sector from 2022 to 2024. This sustained earnings growth explains the persistently low PER during that timeframe, making it a favourable period for sector-wide investment. Looking ahead to 2026, however, we see potential for PER expansion as cyclical earnings may peak in 2025 and subsequently enter a downtrend. Historically, the sector has exhibited higher PER multiples during earnings downcycles (e.g., 2020–2021), suggesting that share prices, particularly for upstream service providers tend to peak when forward PER reaches its trough. This also indicates to us that the FY26F consensus earnings could be overly bullish given the current tepid global macro crude outlook. —July 8, 2025 Main image: Wong Engineering Corporation


New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Asean should deepen ties with GCC, says Liew
KUALA LUMPUR: Asean must unite and collaborate more closely, not just among its member states but with like-minded partners such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to carve out a "middle ground" in a rapidly changing global order, said Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Liew Chin Tong. Speaking at the "Asean-GCC Interactions in a Changing Global Order" forum, Liew stated that Asean nations can no longer afford to view one another as economic competitors but must instead cooperate to foster regional prosperity, technological advancement and geopolitical stability. "We have a choice: either to be bystanders or to be participants in shaping this new world order. Asean does not want to be a bystander," he said. The deputy minister warned that the long-dominant global narrative of US-China rivalry leaves little room for middle powers. In both Washington and Beijing, he said, trade, technology and security are increasingly framed through a binary geopolitical lens. "If the world is just drawn between the US and China, we are all gone. We have no space," he said. "To remain relevant, we must build and assert what the middle ground should be." Liew said that the GCC bloc also shares Asean's interest in shaping this middle ground, especially as both regions confront similar challenges and aspirations, including moving beyond their traditional economic roles. "For the last 80 years, Asian countries became rich by exporting to the US. But now, the US is signalling that it wants fewer imports. What do we do next?" He asked. He proposed a paradigm shift away from competition and towards co-development, where Asean countries support each other's economic growth to create new markets within the region and with partners such as the GCC. "Malaysia sees Vietnam as a competitor, and vice versa. But it doesn't have to be this way. We want to see Vietnam, Thailand, and the GCC countries become more prosperous so that we all can benefit from a growing middle-class market," he said. Liew also highlighted the evolving ambitions of GCC states such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. Once dependent on oil exports, these countries are now seeking to become leaders in technology, including artificial intelligence and semiconductors. "Malaysia already has a semiconductor industry, not high-end, but sophisticated enough. Today, Saudi Arabia wants to build one. The UAE is investing heavily in AI. This is an era where we can collaborate to become technological nations, not just trading nations," he said. Moreover, he advocated for an "à la carte" model of cooperation, one that does not rely on rigid alliances but allows flexible, issue-based collaboration between countries that share common goals. "Together, Asean and GCC can collaborate on markets, on technology, and on geopolitics, especially to co-create this middle ground that allows all of us to navigate the complexities of a changing global order," he said.