PETALING JAYA: A think tank has warned that Malaysia must not be too enthusiastic thinking that China’s Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) would come with automatic benefits, advising instead for proposed investments to be thoroughly scrutinised, The Edge reported.

CIMB Asean Research Institute (Cari) chairman Munir Majid urged the government to ensure that any investment was in the country’s best interest.

“We must not be overwhelmed by the sheer size of the BRI and think that good things are going to happen like that automatically.

“We must look at which part of it will work for Malaysia, and inevitably for Asean,” he was quoted as saying on the sidelines of a roundtable meeting entitled “China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Asean: Economic opportunities and Asean centrality” held in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Munir also said that Asean should also maintain its own strength in partnership when dealing with external dialogue partners, including in its talks with China on the BRI.

Munir also called for Asean to ensure that its principles remain the driving force when moving forward towards the economic gains that can be achieved under China’s BRI.

“China has shown its goodwill in helping the region grow through various investments and support. Asean, however, must ensure that the economic benefits will not outweigh its centrality.

“The BRI should also be inclusive in involving local SMEs in the short and medium term to ensure long lasting bilateral relations,” he said.

The roundtable meeting organised by Cari was held in collaboration with the Asean Business Club.

Malaysia was given significant attention last May, during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing, when Chinese president Xi Jinping singled out Malaysia for its early support of the BRI, saying Malaysia will be one of the countries that will benefit most from it.

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