Speaking in a podcast in South Africa, Anwar acknowledged that it is not easy to navigate through “all sorts of sensitivities” in a multiracial democracy like Malaysia where various ethnic communities coexist with each other.

“I appeal to Malaysians: look, in this period of upheaval and uncertainty, with the negative impact of the tariffs, remain focussed on the economy. And to do that, you must have good governance, efficient bureaucracy, and of course clarity in policies,” said Anwar.

In the podcast interview with South African podcaster and academic Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, the prime minister was asked how South Africa can learn from Malaysia’s strong economic growth over a long period, given the shared histories of both countries as former colonies and as multiracial democracies.

Anwar said there needs to be national economic policies in place, such as Malaysia’s national semiconductor strategy and the national industrial master plan introduced by his government.

Malaysia’s plans were “not as impressive as plans crafted by the famous international consultants” but Malaysians seemed able to execute them well. “We have to push hard; we are doing that to the best of our abilities (but) I think there’s still room for improvement,” he said.

Anwar is currently in South Africa for the G20 leaders’ summit.

He said he and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa believe that more needs to be done to enhance bilateral relations between Malaysia and South Africa in trade, investment, and collaboration at university level.

Both were committed to this agenda and would do whatever is necessary to enhance collaboration between the two countries, he said.

Anwar said he believes there is scope for South Africa to re-engage with the US, which is boycotting the G20 summit due to disagreements between president Donald Trump and Ramaphosa. Anwar said he knows that Ramaphosa wants an “amicable resolution”.

Malaysia and the US had disagreements on major issues, yet the country still engaged with the US, given that it is one of Malaysia’s major trading partners, Anwar said.

“Of course, there are strong positions within the country, especially among the nationalists and the Islamic parties, who question the wisdom of continuing to engage with the US. “But I think, to the contrary, we should do what’s best for our country,” he added.