๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ 18, 2024
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has appointed former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as his personal adviser ahead of Malaysiaโs ASEAN chairmanship in 2025. Thaksin, 75, is the first member of an โinformal advisory groupโ that Malaysia plans to form with elder statesmen from several of the ASEAN member states.
Anwar made the announcement during a joint press conference in Putrajaya held on December 16, alongside visiting Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksinโs youngest daughter and the fourth member of their family to lead Thailand.
โI have agreed to appoint [Thaksin] as my informal adviser on chairing ASEAN, with a team of members from ASEAN countries in an informal set-up,โ Anwar said, according to a report by the Straits Times. โThank you for agreeing to this because we need the benefit of the experience of such statesmen,โ Anwar said of Thaksin during a joint press conference with Paetongtarn.
Anwar said that the idea has been suggested by his government and accepted by Bangkok. According to Malaysian media reports, he is also considering former Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo, 70, to be part of the advisory group.
Thaksin, a significant figure in Thai politics, returned to Thailand in August 2023 after years in self-imposed exile. He was initially sentenced to eight years in prison for abuse of power and corruption, which was reduced days later by Thailandโs king to one year, and he was paroled in February 2024 after serving six months. Despite his legal troubles, Thaksin continues to influence Thai politics through his daughterโs government and the Pheu Thai Party.
Despite his claims of retirement, Thaksin remains active in regional diplomacy, having met with leaders like Cambodiaโs former Prime Minister Hun Sen and Indonesiaโs President Prabowo Subianto.
Thaksin has previously engaged with Myanmarโs opposition groups in a personal capacity in a bid to broker talks, as confirmed by Thailandโs foreign minister in May.
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