Anwar remarked that he and Trump “share a lot in common”.

“One of which is that I was in prison and you almost got there,” he quipped, drawing laughter from those present at the ceremony held on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit and related meetings here.

Anwar also said Malaysia admires Trump’s tenacity and courage, noting that the world needs leaders who champion peace with conviction.

“To achieve that, you sometimes have to break a few rules, as you did today,” he said.

“When the president arrived, he invited me to join him in his car. I told him that would go against security and protocol rules – and he was delighted to break them.”

In May last year, Trump was convicted of falsifying business records in a hush money case, but the judge gave him a conditional discharge, which includes probation for the first offence, followed by a jail term and fines.

Trump, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur earlier this morning, witnessed the signing together with Anwar and other Asean leaders.

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia erupted in July into the deadliest clashes in decades, leaving more than 40 people dead and displacing about 300,000 others.

The two sides initially agreed to a ceasefire on July 28, facilitated by Malaysia with support from the US, though accusations of violations have persisted since.