(Bloomberg) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra’s expertise would benefit the country as it prepares to take on the Asean chairmanship next year.
The two met Thursday and discussed critical regional priorities including fostering peace in southern Thailand and addressing the Myanmar crisis.
“Thaksin’s unparalleled network of relationships across the region, coupled with his unique expertise, promises to open invaluable opportunities for Malaysia and Asean to address these challenges with greater confidence and efficacy,” Anwar wrote on Facebook Friday.
The meeting came nearly two weeks after Anwar named Thaksin as informal adviser for the Asean chair. The appointment courted criticism from the opposition, which pointed to the former leader’s previous corruption conviction.
Anwar appeared unperturbed, describing Thaksin as his “dear friend.”
Thaksin returned to his homeland in 2023 after 15 years in exile following a deal with royalists who once ousted him in a coup. The de facto leader of the ruling Pheu Thai party was later indicted under the lese majeste law for an interview he gave nearly a decade ago. He has denied wrongdoing.
Despite Thaksin’s domestic legal troubles, Anwar said the two “shared the belief that Malaysia and Thailand could accomplish much more together, not only for our respective nations but for the region as a whole.”
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