BANGKOK, June 20. /TASS/. BRICS is becoming a mouthpiece for the countries of the global South, challenging the hegemony of the Western world order, the Malaysian New Straits Times said in an article.
The publication notes that developing countries "have long been unheard," their position largely ignored on the world stage and at the United Nations. BRICS, however, can give them a voice that Western countries will listen to.
BRICS is also attractive because of its New Development Bank, which "does not impose such crippling conditions" when granting loans as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. In this regard, the newspaper concluded that the decision of the Malaysian authorities to join BRICS is a "good choice" for the country.
On June 13, the Malaysian prime minister said in an interview with the Chinese Guancha website that Malaysia would soon launch the formal process of joining BRICS. Malaysia's readiness to join the group was also announced by its foreign policy chief Mohamad Hasan, who also noted that it would allow the country to address various issues on the world stage and defend national interests more effectively.
The BRICS group has seen two waves of expansion since its emergence in 2006. In 2011, South Africa joined the original members, which included Brazil, Russia, India and China. In August 2023, six new members, including Argentina, were invited to join the association. Buenos Aires changed its mind in late December last year. Five new members, Egypt, Iran, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia, officially joined the group on January 1, 2024. Russian Ambassador to China Igor Morgulov said on June 6 that about 30 countries have voiced their desire to join BRICS.