Uyghur issue between China and Malaysia cooperation

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping in Beijing on November 7. According to the South China Morning Post, Xi Jinping emphasized in the meeting that China and Malaysia represent developing Asian nations, and it's important to strengthen mutual political trust and achieve mutual benefits. Anwar Ibrahim stated that Malaysia would continue to enhance its strategic cooperation with China.
According to reports, Anwar Ibrahim's visit to China began on November 4. The following day, he attended the 7th China International Import Expo in Shanghai and met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Anwar Ibrahim told Li Qiang that Malaysia would strengthen cooperation with China in trade, investment, the digital economy, and education, focusing on the "Belt and Road Initiative." This is Anwar Ibrahim's third visit to China since becoming Malaysia's Prime Minister, having visited in March and September 2023. Chinese Premier Li Qiang also visited Malaysia in June 2024 and signed a 5-year trade agreement.
Despite disputes between Malaysia and China in the South China Sea, Malaysia has remained China's largest trading partner for the past fifteen years. Malaysia, under Anwar Ibrahim's leadership, is currently working to strengthen relations with China.
Edward Ahmed Michel, Deputy Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), commented on Anwar Ibrahim's visit to China to meet Xi Jinping, saying: "National leaders think about their country's and people's interests first. But a Muslim country leader like Anwar Ibrahim should speak about Muslims' rights in other countries, for example, the Uyghur Muslims. We have no doubt that Anwar Ibrahim is concerned about the Uyghur situation. He has been calling for protecting Muslims' rights worldwide. We understand any country's political and economic objectives in dealing with China. However, we hope Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Malaysian people will do their utmost to protect Uyghur rights in China, both secretly and openly."
On October 4 this year, Mehdi Hasan, the well-known Al Jazeera broadcaster, interviewed Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar Ibrahim said: "The Gaza issue must be separated from the Uyghur issue, and what's happening in Gaza is genocide, but what's happening in East Turkistan is not genocide."
It appears that Anwar Ibrahim, who supported protecting Uyghurs' religious freedom until 2018, changed his position after becoming Malaysia's Prime Minister in November 2022; during his visit to China from March 29 to April 1, 2023, he stated that he considers the Uyghur issue "China's internal affair."
According to related information, Anwar Ibrahim was president of the Malaysian Muslim Students Union and Malaysian Islamic Youth Union in his youth. After the 1980s, he entered politics and served as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Malaysia in 1999 but was accused of corruption and imprisoned. After his release in 2004, he served as Malaysian opposition party leader from 2008 to 2015. He won the 2022 Malaysian general election and became Malaysia's tenth Prime Minister on November 24 of that year. He had been a pro-Islamic democracy politician and initially opposed Malaysian Chinese monopoly in trade, but after leaving prison, he advocated for "needs-based rather than race and nationality-based equality policy" and began approaching China.
Mr. Abdul Hakim Idris, president of the Uyghur Research Center in the United States and an activist promoting the Uyghur cause in Malaysia, explained the Uyghur situation when he met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at an iftar event held at Dar al-Islam Center in Kuala Lumpur on April 19, 2023. He requested support for the Uyghurs. Anwar Ibrahim, as an Islamic state leader, expressed sympathy for the Uyghurs. However, when he went to China, he set aside the Uyghur issue.
Mr. Abdul Hakim Idris told our radio station that China is now working to promote "Beautiful Xinjiang" in Malaysia, and Anwar Ibrahim is adapting to this.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim appeared sympathetic to Uyghur Muslims when meeting with Uyghur activists, but showed his view of Uyghur issues as China's internal affairs when he came to China; he is a politician concerned with his country's situation and personal interests. Mr. Abdul Hakim Idris emphasized that Anwar Ibrahim should not be allowed to benefit from China in exchange for overlooking the Uyghur genocide.
According to news reports, China has not only worked to strengthen cooperation with Muslim-majority countries like Malaysia and Indonesia but has also conceded disputed border territories to India in exchange for ending conflict with India, home to 172 million Muslims. This is believed to mean that China is working with neighboring countries, including Islamic states, to counter U.S. and Western pressure, to erase the "genocide crime" label and improve its image.