BRICS new members are set to expand, and Malaysia’s bid is actually gaining some serious momentum right now with backing from China and Brazil. The Southeast Asian nation received public support from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during his Kuala Lumpur visit, and China’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed support for Malaysia BRICS membership. This signals that BRICS expansion in 2025 could see Malaysia join the BRICS members list with voting rights, making it the second ASEAN country to achieve full member status.

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Malaysia’s Bid for Full Membership Gets Stronger with 2025 Plans

Triple Endorsement for New BRICS Members

President Lula made his position clear during a press conference at the 47th ASEAN Summit. When asked by a journalist from Bernama, Malaysia’s National News Agency, Lula stated:

“I learned in my life that human behaviour always taken into account that the most important thing is effective action. The main thing you asked me is to know if I want Malaysia to be a full member of BRICS. Malaysia will have the support of Brazil to become a full member of BRICS.”

The Brazilian leader also emphasized cultural connections between the two nations. Lula was clear about the fact that:

“Everywhere I go, it feels like I already know everyone. There is always someone smiling, someone kind… it reminds me of the Brazilian people.”

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reinforced the backing for BRICS new members when responding to questions about Malaysia’s application. Guo Jiakun stated:

“BRICS values the active willingness of Global South partners to join BRICS cooperation and welcomes Malaysia and more partners with shared goals.”

The spokesperson also described the bloc as an important platform for cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries.

Russia’s support was also confirmed during the summit. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk told reporters:

“Countries exchange views on global issues and common approaches to strategic challenges that shape our modern world. In that sense, Malaysia fits that criteria quite well.”

Current Status and Path Forward

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed that the formal application has been submitted to join BRICS new members. On the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar stated:

“We have informed them. We are awaiting their response.”

Malaysia was granted partner status on January 1, 2025, along with Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. This partner status allows participation in summits and foreign ministers’ meetings but doesn’t include the voting rights that full membership provides.

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According to October 2024 data of IMF, BBRICS constitutes about 41.4% of the global GDP in buying power parity. The bloc is a collective of one-fifth of world trade. The conversion of Malaysia to a full membership as part of the BRICS expansion in 2025 wave would consolidate the presence of the bloc in Southeast Asia together with Indonesia and make the country the second member state of the ASEAN to have full membership status.

The China Brazil support Malaysia movement which has been strengthened by Russia is a sign of commitment by three of the founding members to increase BRICS new members in the strategically important regions. As the Malaysia BRICS membership application has been duly filed and supported by powerful members across various continents, the road to full membership seems more likely than ever at present even though the final decision on all the member countries is yet to be made. The assistance provided by Brazil, China, and Russia is the milestone of the Malaysian global economic activity and the current process of BRICS expansion 2025.