KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia views 2026 as a critical year that will challenge long-standing assumptions about global power, order and responsibility, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says. Speaking at a public lecture titled "Power Shift: Strategic Choices For Malaysia And Türki̇ye" in Ankara on Wednesday (Jan 7), Anwar said the year ahead would be marked by significant uncertainty and strategic change at the global level. "This will test many settled assumptions about power, order and responsibility," he said, adding that his visit to Türkiye would be among the most consequential visits in 2026. Anwar stressed that countries positioned as middle powers could not afford to remain passive as global certainty continues to erode, nor wait for others to set the terms. But they will help determine whether smaller countries retain room to manoeuvre, and whether law still constrains power," he said.

Source: The Star January 07, 2026 19:59 UTC