8 April 2026 | Petaling Jaya

Recent remarks by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Singapore’s refusal to engage in negotiations with Iran concerning safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz are both revealing and regrettable. They reflect not prudence, but a narrow strategic posture that prioritises alignment over regional responsibility and international law.

Iran is the target of war crimes by the United States and Israel, with huge losses of civilian lives and infrastructure. Its controls on the straits are an attempt to seek a durable peace. Malaysia has consistently upheld the principle that diplomacy must be exercised, not abandoned. 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s engagement on this matter is rooted in

safeguarding regional stability, energy security, and the broader interests of Southeast Asia. To suggest otherwise, even implicitly, is to dismiss the very tools that have long preserved peace in our region.

It is difficult to ignore the undertones in Dr Balakrishnan’s position. His posture appears less about neutrality and more about echoing the strategic preferences of external powers, whose interests do not always align with those of our region. Such alignment risks eroding ASEAN’s long held commitment to independent, balanced diplomacy.

Malaysia will not be lectured on the merits of engagement. We choose dialogue because history has shown that disengagement invites escalation, not stability. We choose to act because leadership demands more than cautious distance. Dr Balakrishnan is, of course, entitled to his position. But he should also recognise that quiet acquiescence to great power narratives and genocidal entities is not the same as principled neutrality. 

In moments of global tension, the region deserves voices that build bridges, not reinforce divides.

Malaysia will continue to pursue diplomacy with clarity, conviction, and independence.

NURUL IZZAH ANWAR

Deputy President

Parti Keadilan Rakyat