Ilango Karuppannan, Malaysia’s former high commissioner to Singapore, said the presence of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made the gathering symbolically significant.
“Optics matters a lot. It looks like Asean and BRICS are somewhat sharing the stage here,” he told FMT.
The BRICS founding members are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The group has since added five full members, namely Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Malaysia was made a partner country late last year.
Joanne Lin, senior fellow and Asean Studies Centre coordinator at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, said the move reflects Malaysia’s deft diplomacy and Asean’s evolving role as a bridge between global blocs.
“Both Brazil and South Africa represent leaders in the Global South, and this aligns very well with Malaysia’s priorities too,” she said.
Their presence, she added, underscores Asean’s growing profile as one of the few platforms where powers from both the North and South sit together.
Lin said the move fits a broader shift in the Global South, where developing countries are increasingly challenging economic systems seen as skewed toward Western powers.
“Looking ahead, I think Asean is uniquely positioned to act as a bridge between the Global North and the Global South,” she said, noting the bloc’s role in linking advanced economies like Japan, South Korea and the EU with developing regions such as South Asia, Africa and the Gulf.
While Brazil and South Africa’s participation remains informal, Lin said it could still inform broader discussions within BRICS and the G20, given South Africa’s current G20 presidency.
In a similar vein, Ilango said that the symbolism is significant even if BRICS itself isn’t formally discussed.
“I think kudos must be given to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for having thought of just inviting them as guests. It’s an interesting dynamic,” he said.
The 47th Asean Summit and Related Meetings are taking place in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 26 to Oct 28 under Malaysia’s Chairmanship, themed “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.