'Don't Agree With Trump, But US Is Biggest Investor': Malaysian PM To NDTV

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said that while he opposes Donald Trump's foreign policies, Washington remains an important ally and Malaysia's "number one investment partner". 

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Ibrahim said that the US often takes extreme positions on several issues and disregards multilateralism. "The US sometimes takes very extreme positions on many issues. Unilateralism has become the art of diplomacy for them, disregarding multilateral arrangements. Naturally, there are strong views on this, and on these points, we align with many countries, including India within BRICS," he said. 

Ibrahim said that Malaysia shares many ideas with the US but does not agree with Trump's views.  

"We share many ideas with the United States, not necessarily just with President Trump personally. As a smaller player, and I do not put myself on a pedestal, I was very appreciative that he gave me that kind of leeway. I had a 40-minute personal conversation with him in "The Beast", where I engaged very frankly. I was amazed that he showed a lot of patience listening to the strong views I expressed very politely on various issues," Ibrahim said.

"Why do I engage this way? Because I also consider America a great friend that represents democracy, and we have been very close over the last century. Most importantly, they remain our number one investment partner. So, I have to weigh both sides. However, that does not mean I agree with their stance on Israel and Palestine," Ibrahim added.