Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Taiwan is part of China and justified using military force to prevent secession, comparing it to defending Malaysian states from breaking away. He made the remarks in an August 16 interview with Al Jazeera, stating, "If a Malaysian state tries to secede, would we use military force? Yes, to protect national unity," and insisting, "I see Taiwan as part of China, period" [1, 2].
Anwar expressed strong support for the One China policy and criticized what he called "international double standards" on the Taiwan issue. He emphasized Malaysia's recognition of China as the sole legitimate government since 1974 [1, 2, 3]. China's Foreign Ministry praised Anwar's comments, with spokesperson Lin Jian declaring, "China must and will be unified, that is an unstoppable historical trend" [1].
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Anwar's statements on August 18. It said any military threats against Taiwan undermine regional peace and damage Taiwan-Malaysia political trust. The ministry called Taiwan a sovereign and independent country with 23 million people [4, 1, 5, 6, 7, 2, 3].
Malaysia's government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil later said the cabinet has not discussed or endorsed Anwar's remarks, suggesting a gap between the prime minister’s statements and official policy [4, 1, 8, 9, 3]. Yet observers view Anwar's comments as a significant diplomatic shift from previous Malaysian leaders who avoided discussing China's military plans for Taiwan [1, 2].
Malaysian academics and politicians criticized Anwar for breaking Malaysia’s traditional cautious stance. Academic CY Wong said Anwar's clear backing of China's use of force "completely undermines Malaysia’s longstanding position on the Taiwan Strait issue" [8]. Writer Megat Hisemudin argued Anwar misunderstood the complexity and sensitivity of the Taiwan-China relationship [4, 10, 7].
The Malaysian Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce warned the remarks may raise risks for Taiwanese investors, potentially harming bilateral economic ties. Taiwan-Malaysia trade reached $57 billion in 2025 [1, 5, 2, 11].
Anwar’s approval rating in Malaysia stood at 45% in June 2026 amid domestic debate over his Taiwan remarks [6, 12]. The controversy underscores divisions within Malaysia on navigating relations with China and Taiwan.
The Malaysian government has not announced any official response to Taiwan’s criticism as of August 21 [1, 8, 9]. Further cabinet discussions or clarifications on Malaysia’s Taiwan policy are expected in coming weeks.
