In an exclusive interview with Nikkei Asia in Tokyo, on the sidelines of the ASEAN-Japan summit meetings over the weekend, Anwar argued that some countries are not practicing what they preach as the civilian death toll in Gaza mounts.
"I'm sick of this hypocrisy. It's not politics," he said. "These are humanitarian issues. I would say such hypocrisy is [happening in] many of the so-called countries that promote democracy and human rights."
The Malaysian leader did not single out specific governments. But he has long been a staunch advocate of Palestinian rights, while the U.S. has largely supported Israel since the war broke out war broke out on Oct. 7.
That morning, Hamas militants stormed from Gaza into Israel, killing an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking hundreds of hostages. The Hamas-run Health Ministry says around 19,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's retaliation in the strip, including large numbers of women and children.
United Nations members have overwhelmingly demanded a halt to the fighting, with the U.S. and a handful of other countries standing out as exceptions.
Like Anwar himself, Malaysia has consistently expressed support for the Palestinian cause for decades. This stance -- insisting on Palestinian rights and the establishment of an independent state of Palestine -- has held steady across multiple governments in the Muslim-majority country.
During the interview, Anwar conceded that the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations has faced criticism over a humanitarian crisis in one of its own member states, Myanmar.
Myanmar's military seized power in February 2021, ousting the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Anwar said the Five-Point Consensus -- a peace restoration roadmap agreed between ASEAN leaders and Myanmar's army chief in April 2021 -- will continue to be implemented, even though little progress has been made.
Among ASEAN members, Malaysia has taken a relatively firm stance on Myanmar, calling on member states to pressure the military to abide by the consensus and demanding the army stop violence against civilians.
"I concede, I made a very tough line. We have more than 200,000 refugees from Myanmar. ... We can't let them drown in the sea, as some countries choose to do. So we will have to deal with the problem, but what else do we do?" Anwar said.
While Myanmar's military leadership has been excluded from high-level ASEAN meetings, Anwar did say that the bloc has made room for some members to engage with the regime, outside of the Five-Point Consensus process. "We have given some space or latitude to neighboring countries that are quite close to Myanmar to engage in the low-key manner, taking into account or within the parameters of ASEAN."
Commenting on tensions in the South China Sea, another pressing regional issue for ASEAN, Anwar said Malaysia's view is that the country need not escalate the matter in a hostile manner that could affect bilateral relations with China. Malaysia is one of several ASEAN states whose claims in the sea overlap with China's.
Anwar stressed that no country can unilaterally decide on such matters, calling for mutual respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity. "I see there is a discrepancy in terms of treating border issues between countries with China. But do I compromise with China on the issue of borders? No. We must negotiate this with ASEAN or bilaterally," Anwar said.
With respect to U.S.-China friction in Southeast Asia, Anwar said that taking sides would not benefit Malaysia in any way. He added that countries should make their own decisions based on their respective interests, but he emphasized the notion of ASEAN centrality in regional affairs and stressed the bloc should be a zone of peace.
Anwar said ASEAN leaders have strengthened their shared commitment to those principles, resisting efforts to pull them to one side of the geopolitical divide or the other.
Malaysia's basic position is to "be friends and engage with all parties and not to be perceived as being pawns of any power," Anwar said. "We are a small country, we do have big ambitions, and we do what we can, as best as we can."