CRITICISM of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over his diplomatic outreach has been described as misguided and politically motivated, amid growing debate over the role of informal leader-to-leader communication in global crisis management.
Kedah State Leadership Council of Parti Keadilan Rakyat Communications Director Tunku Nashrul Abaidah urged the public not to dismiss the Prime Minister’s diplomatic efforts on the basis of narrow political interests.
Responding to remarks by Jitra state assemblyman Haim Hilman Abdullah, he said contemporary global dynamics require more immediate and direct engagement between world leaders, rather than reliance solely on formal summits.
“Current developments show that diplomatic practice is now more agile and no longer bound purely by formal frameworks.
“As an example, the Prime Minister himself received a call from the Prime Minister of Pakistan before stepping forward as a mediator in negotiations between the United States and Iran.
“This practice is not unusual when world leaders communicate directly to coordinate responses and ease tensions swiftly,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Tunku Nashrul argued that Haim Hilman’s remarks during a recent Kedah state assembly sitting failed to reflect the realities of an increasingly fast-moving, complex and interconnected global environment.
He also rejected the assertion that telephone communication between leaders amounted to “ordinary diplomacy”, describing the characterisation as inaccurate.
Highlighting recent regional tensions, he noted that in a challenging situation involving hundreds of stranded vessels from multiple countries, only a limited number were able to pass through a critical route, with Malaysia among the earliest to do so due to what he described as an effective and strategic approach.
“This proves the capability of MADANI Diplomacy, which prioritises national security and interests,” he said.
He added that such criticism appeared rooted in outdated thinking that does not align with current developments, particularly in an era shaped by rapid technological change and heightened public scrutiny.
“In today’s technological era, the public are no longer mere spectators, but stakeholders who have the right to know how the government acts in protecting the economy and national security,” he said.
Earlier, Haim Hilman, who also serves as Kedah’s state executive councillor for industry and investment, higher education, science, technology and innovation, had described the Prime Minister’s outreach to foreign leaders as routine and not something that should be regarded as an extraordinary achievement.
The exchange underscores a broader debate within Malaysian politics over how diplomatic success is defined in an era of informal, real-time engagement between global leaders. - April 17, 2026
