KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s swift action in securing the return of Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) volunteers from Israel reflects Malaysia’s strong diplomatic capability, particularly through his close ties with foreign leaders, analysts say.
Universiti Malaya sociopolitical analyst Prof Datuk Awang Azman Awang Pawi said the success demonstrated the effectiveness of Malaysia’s moral diplomacy and international network, despite having no official relations with Israel.
“This issue highlights the Prime Minister’s pivotal role in bringing home GSF volunteers from Israel, a complex humanitarian mission that showcased Malaysia’s diplomatic ability in dealing with a regime with which it has no formal ties.
“Anwar employed a ‘cross-border diplomacy’ approach and discreet negotiations through third-party countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, or Turkiye — nations with direct influence over Israel and access to Gaza. This reflects a multi-layered diplomatic strategy,” he told Bernama.
Awang added that the multi-layered approach includes humanitarian neutrality diplomacy, which prioritises humanitarian values over politics, and reputational diplomacy, where Malaysia is seen as a strong moral voice against oppression yet remains pragmatic in protecting its people.
The effort also demonstrated Anwar’s diplomatic wisdom as an Islamic leader who dares to speak out against Israel while maintaining the ability to negotiate through international channels without compromising Malaysia’s foreign policy principles.
He said the government had applied several forms of alternative diplomacy that were intelligent and non-confrontational, given the absence of official diplomatic ties with Israel. These included third-party diplomacy, humanitarian diplomacy, and multilateral diplomacy.
“Through humanitarian diplomacy, the focus is not political but rather on the safety of volunteers and universal humanitarian principles. This is in line with Malaysia’s stance at the United Nations, which emphasises humanitarian corridors for Gaza.
“In terms of multilateral diplomacy, Malaysia can leverage platforms such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), and Asean Dialogue Partners to exert indirect diplomatic pressure on Israel through collective voices,” Awang said.
He noted that domestically, this success strengthens the public’s perception of the Prime Minister as a courageous, principled and empathetic leader, while internationally, it reinforces Malaysia’s position as the ‘moral voice of the Global South’, championing universal humanitarian values.
“Strategically, this positions Anwar as a modern and progressive Islamic leader who wisely balances principle and geopolitical reality. It enhances his image as a ‘negotiator with conscience’ — a leader who upholds justice without bowing to global pressure.
“In this context, Anwar has strengthened Malaysia’s diplomatic legacy as a nation that speaks boldly yet acts wisely — a rare balance in today’s international arena,” Awang said.
Echoing this view, Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research (NASR) senior fellow and geostrategist Prof Azmi Hassan said Malaysia effectively utilised its strong ties with countries like Jordan and Turkiye, which maintain official communication channels with Tel Aviv.
The achievement was not coincidental but the result of consistent strategic diplomacy by the national leadership.
“This highlights how crucial close relationships between leaders are. We cannot sideline countries that maintain relations with Israel, as such links can be tactfully used to exert diplomatic pressure... this is the kind of subtle diplomacy the Prime Minister has displayed,” he said.
Anwar had applied similar diplomatic strategies in resolving other regional conflicts, including efforts to broker peace between Thailand and Cambodia.
“The immediate ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia two months ago was achieved because the Prime Minister engaged major powers such as China and the United States to be part of the negotiation table.
“This demonstrates his strategy, never sidelining global powers but rather leveraging them when it benefits Malaysia as a whole,” Azmi said.
The Prime Minister's international standing remains strong, as he is recognised globally as a principled, articulate and respected leader who consistently defends national dignity, justice and security at international platforms.
However, Azmi expressed concern over domestic sentiment, noting that some quarters remain reluctant to acknowledge the Prime Minister’s diplomatic success due to political differences, even though issues of sovereignty, security, and national interest should transcend partisanship.
