KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Asean should remain independent and as a zone of neutrality amid the heightened US and China rivalry, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

He said this in an interview with China’s national broadcaster CCTV aired last night. The interview was recorded during his three-day official visit to Beijing last week.

Anwar noted that Asean was formed to promote peace and stability in the region, and cooperation among its member states, and these objectives should be maintained.

Malaysia was one of the five founding members of Asean when the grouping was established in 1967.

"That position continues. We don’t want the region to be the base for military competition. That position has been quite consistent although we remain friendly to all countries,” he said in the interview.

He said the region should not be the ground for power contest nor should it be allowed to be engrossed in unnecessary provocation arising from the rivalry.

Citing AUKUS, Anwar said Malaysia has raised concern that the trilateral security pact involving Australia, United Kingdom and United States in the Indo Pacific would further aggravate the situation in the region.

"That is why Malaysia took a tougher line on this, and have been consistent in its position since the beginning not to allow this situation to aggravate into military tension, or be deemed or seen to be provocative,” he said.

He also urged China and the US to find amicable solution to their tensions.

On the domestic front, Anwar said Malaysia is now back on track following the actions of promoting good governance as the core of his administration in order to drive further growth and development for the country.

He said the government also focused on stamping out corruption and rid the country from that image.

"We have to act tough against this (corruption), because that alone will encourage investors.

"Malaysia used to do relatively better in the 1990s, in term of growth, But it has slid downward for decades after the 1997 (financial) crisis. Now we are back on track,” he said. — Bernama