Anwar’s Trump card: Diplomacy, deals, and the shadow of Gaza

INTERNATIONAL: In the sweltering heat of Kuala Lumpur’s airport tarmac on Oct 26, 2025, an unlikely spectacle unfolded: US President Donald Trump, fresh off Air Force One, joined Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in an impromptu dance with traditional performers, swaying to the beat of a welcome ceremony at the 47th ASEAN summit.

What followed was equally surreal—a ride in Trump’s armoured “Beast” limo from the runway to the convention centre, a gesture Anwar later quipped broke protocol but symbolised their budding rapport.

By day’s end, Anwar was heaping praise on the man many Malaysians view with suspicion: “We admire your tenacity, your courage,” he said during the signing of the “Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords,” a truce between Thailand and Cambodia brokered under Trump’s watchful eye.

In a lighter moment, Anwar joked about their shared brushes with the law: “I was in prison, but you almost got there,” referencing his own imprisonment on politically motivated sodomy charges and Trump’s near-conviction in the Stormy Daniels hush-money case. Trump responded by praising Anwar’s “very different,” “artistic” signature. The bromance is just unbelievable.

For Anwar, this wasn’t just showmanship; it was a diplomatic coup. Trump hailed the visit as a “historic day,” announcing trade deals with four ASEAN nations, including a minerals pact with Malaysia aimed at reducing reliance on China.

Crucially, Malaysia secured concessions on tariffs and non-tariff barriers, paving the way for expanded US trade and investment—a boon for a nation navigating economic headwinds, says the kowtowing crowd.

Trump even recommitted the US to the region, framing it as a bulwark against Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea, where China treats ASEAN waters as its “backyard” despite international rulings like the 2016 arbitral award.

Anwar, ever the reformist opposition leader turned prime minister, positioned himself as the ultimate dealmaker, trading barbs and banter for tangible wins.

Yet beneath the pageantry lies a deeper, more disturbing trend: the erosion of principles in the name of pragmatism, and this is happening across the globe.

Anwar has built his international brand on fervent advocacy for Palestine. Since Oc 7, 2023, he has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, calling for ceasefires, boycotts of Israeli goods, and even summoning Israel’s ambassador in protest.

His government’s rhetoric is laced with solidarity—Malaysia bans Israeli ships from its ports and has donated millions in aid to Palestinians. Online, Anwar’s supporters amplify this with nostalgic photos of him alongside Yasser Arafat, the late PLO leader, evoking a legacy of resistance.

However, as one pro-Palestine Malaysian activist lamented on social media sometime back, “Anwar talks the talk, but where’s the walk?” Gaza’s graves are still fresh, and someone must remind the leaders of this fact.

This hypocrisy peaked during Trump’s visit. Protests erupted outside the summit venue, with hundreds decrying Trump as an “enabler of carnage” for his unwavering support of Benjamin Netanyahu—unconditional arms shipments, vetoes of UN resolutions, and dismissal of war crime allegations amid Gaza’s death toll exceeding 40,000.

Calls to ban Trump from Malaysia echoed from civil society groups, viewing his presence as a betrayal of Muslim-majority sentiments; after all, Trump’s 2017 “Muslim ban” and Jerusalem embassy move still sting in a country where Islam shapes national identity.

Yet Anwar not only welcomed him with open arms but also ignored these voices, prioritising bilateral gains over moral consistency.

As opposition leader, Anwar promised a “new dawn” of reforms—anti-corruption, human rights, and principled foreign policy. He decried authoritarianism and championed the oppressed, but in power, he’s played the ultimate Trump card: sacrificing ideals for concessions.

The tariff relief? A short-term economic fix that bolsters US influence in ASEAN, directly challenging China’s regional dominance—a strategic pivot Anwar frames as “multipolar balance”, but one that sidesteps the human cost of aligning with a figure reviled by many Muslims. Anwar leads a majority Muslim country. This has to count.

Trump’s ASEAN commitments sound reassuring, but they come from a man whose “America First” doctrine has historically left allies wary, exploiting legal loopholes in trade and sea lanes to America’s advantage—just as China does.

Is Anwar the “middleman” bridging East and West, or the dealmaker he claims to be, willing to dance on the tarmac while protesters are arrested in Kuala Lumpur?

The cries for justice against war criminals—and their friends—grow louder, unanswered by summit handshakes.

In trading principles for pragmatism, Anwar may have won the day in Kuala Lumpur, but at what cost to his leadership in Malaysia? The accords are signed, the tariffs eased, but the graves of Gaza’s innocents demand more than tokens like a shared limo ride or a quip about jail time. They demand justice, not just deals.