KUALA LUMPUR – Former Malaysian ambassador to the United States, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, has criticised what he sees as Malaysia’s undue fixation on the United States, asserting that the country should focus on fostering stronger ties with nations that have shown greater diplomatic goodwill.
Speaking on Scoop’s podcast Trick Lama recently, Nazri said Malaysia should prioritise relationships with countries such as China, Russia, India, and Türkiye, rather than placing undue emphasis on the US.
“I think Malaysians put America on a pedestal. We should prioritise countries that have extended red carpet welcoming to us, rather than worrying about whether or not we got to make a phone call to the US President,” he said.
The podcast session, hosted by Big Boom Media’s Chief Executive Officer Datuk Zainul Arifin Isa, Group Advisor Datuk Ahirudin Attan (Rocky Bru), and Group Editor-in-Chief Terence Fernandez, is slated for release on Monday (February 24).
Nazri, whose two-year tenure ended earlier this month, was responding to recent accusations, alleging that he failed to facilitate a call between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and current US President Donald Trump after the 2024 US presidential election.
Nazri explained that a week before the election on November 5, he and other Asean ambassadors attended a meeting hosted by former US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien.
They were advised to ensure their respective leaders attempted to contact Trump post-election, regardless of whether they managed to speak to him, because the President likes these gestures.
“I sent this message to Datuk Ahmad Farhan Fauzi, the political secretary to the Prime Minister, advising that an attempt should be made to call Trump. Even if the call did not go through, it would still be recorded that the Prime Minister of Malaysia had reached out,” Nazri said.
“The PMO (Prime Ministers Office) tried, and that was good enough for me.”
He asserted that Trump was unlikely to have taken the call due to Malaysia’s firm stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
“I was in Washington and I know of PMX’s strong support and statement towards Hamas and Gaza. It didn’t slight me personally for two reasons.
“Firstly, if we make very strong statements against Israel, it is also against the US because any American president will always be pro-Israel. To me, it’s a waste of time. I know Trump will not want to speak to you (Anwar) because of the strong stand.
“Secondly, I also did not want it to happen because I don’t want people accusing the PMX later on of making a strong forceful statement but groveling to speak to Trump. I don’t like that.
“I was a politician before and to me my first interest would be to protect the stature of the PM.
“If Trump wants to speak to you, it’s fair, but if he doesn’t want to, it’s also fair.
“You know, Trump is surrounded by many Jewish advisers, who likely advised him not to take the call from Malaysia,” he explained.
Nazri also pointed out that Malaysia’s diplomatic standing with the US differs from that of some Asean neighbours, such as Singapore and the Philippines, which have strategic comprehensive partnerships with the US, while Malaysia’s relationship remains at the comprehensive partnership level.
“I knew some Asean leaders managed to speak to Trump, but I was neutral about it because I had all the facts. To me, protecting the Prime Minister’s stature was more important than making a big deal out of a phone call.
“Some Malaysians don’t understand that, they are ignorant. Why should I be upset with people who are ignorant? I have all the facts before me, I do what I think is right to defend my PM’s stature and we should not be seen as groveling.
“We shouldn’t be seen as saying one thing forceful in one instance, and the next thing try to get a phone call with the President. That’s not it,” he said.
Nazri also dismissed concerns about Trump’s potential absence from Asean-related summits during Malaysia’s Asean Chairmanship 2025, citing a briefing from O’Brien that Trump would be focusing on domestic issues.
“If the US President doesn’t attend, JD Vance (US Vice President) or the Secretary of State will likely represent the country, as has happened before when Kamala (Harris) visited Indonesia. We shouldn’t be overly concerned,” he said.
Nazri’s comments come in response to the political debate surrounding Malaysia’s diplomatic relations and how they are perceived in the broader international landscape.
During the podcast, Nazri said that he deliberately courted controversy with a viral image from a Make America Great Again (MAGA) event in Washington, aiming to make a bold return to the local political scene.
The event, held on January 19—just a day before Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration—sparked debate back home, with critics questioning whether his attendance signified political endorsement.
“The rally was a Republican affair, an invitation from the White House itself. It was for Republican leaders, ambassadors, about 80 to 90 of us, and Trump supporters. I was there in an official capacity,” Nazri clarified. – February 22, 2025