“Sometimes, it is better not to take the call at all,” Nazri told FMT, when asked about criticism over the lack of a phone call between the two leaders when Trump took office in January.
Nazri said a telephone conversation between Anwar and Trump could have caused complications. “Knowing Trump (and his unpredictable nature), he might tell off our prime minister for supporting Hamas and I don’t know how Anwar would have reacted,” he said.
“It could have led to a bigger problem. Our prime minister would not simply sit back and accept everything. Sometimes, it is better not to take the call at all,” said Nazri, who said he was mindful he was responsible for maintaining good relations between the US and Malaysia.
Nazri has come under criticism for allegedly failing to arrange a phone call between the two leaders while he was Malaysia’s ambassador to the US.
Nazri said that the leaders of Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand, who did speak to Trump, were categorised as strategic and comprehensive partners, while Malaysia is in its 10th year of a comprehensive partnership with the US.
“We should aim for comprehensive relationships with multiple global players, including Russia, India and China, rather than striving to be best friends with just one country,” he said.
Similarities with Trump’s views
Nazri sought to allay fears about Malaysia’s relations with Trump, saying the US president’s stance on trade, immigration and social issues was similar to Malaysia’s views.
Nazri, who served as Malaysia’s ambassador to the US from 2023 to 2024 said concerns over Trump’s trade policies were misplaced, as tariffs are a common practice worldwide.
“If you talk about tariffs, every country does it. We have tariffs on foreign cars and other products of up to 100%, that’s normal,” he told FMT.
He said Trump’s campaign for tariffs was to bring jobs and factories back to the US and not meant to target Malaysia. “It is not selective, nor targeted. It is open across the board,” he said
Trumps’ stance on illegal immigration was not dissimilar to Malaysia’s attitude towards undocumented migrants, Nazri said. “We don’t like illegal immigrants coming into our country either. Even the Rohingya are not well accepted here.”
He said Trump’s views that there are only two genders were likely to be welcomed by Malaysia’s conservative society. “In Malaysia, we also recognise only male and female,” he said.