SHAH ALAM, June 18 — Malaysia is open to joining the intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) because it can bring various economic benefits to the country, said Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
The BRICS organisation is also developing smoothly for now, and some countries, like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, have also joined it.
“We are waiting to start further discussions on BRICS as mentioned by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim," he said after officiating at the launch of the Chery Malaysia assembly plant today.
Yesterday, Anwar said that Malaysia would start formal procedures to join the BRICS economic bloc soon.
BRICS was established in 2009 as a cooperation platform for emerging economies, including Brazil, Russia, India, and China. South Africa joined the group in 2010.
It now accounts for a quarter of the global economy, including a fifth of global trade, with a population of around 40 per cent of the world.
— Bernama
