“Malaysia is supportive. Our position is to engage and open up,” Anwar told Maria Zulfiqar Khan in an interview with PTV News HD, an Urdu news channel last night.

However, Anwar said that the final decision would be a collective one made by Asean member nations.

In August, Pakistan high commissioner to Malaysia Said Ahsan Aza Shah was reported to have said that Malaysia has been one of its top supporters in Asean and has helped the country secure a sectoral dialogue partnership.

To date, Asean has established dialogue partnerships with the likes of China, the European Union, UK, US and India among others.

Judge who drafted Islam clause

In last night’s interview, Anwar paid tribute to the 160,000-strong Pakistani community in Malaysia for their immense contribution to the country.

He noted that a judge from Pakistan was among five judges from Commonwealth countries in the Reid Commission which drafted the Federal Constitution in 1956-57.

Anwar said the judge, Sheikh Hakim Halim Abdul Hamid, made it clear that the country should uphold the position of Islam. “He inserted the clause that Islam is the religion of the federation,” Anwar said