Kuala Lampur, Oct. 27 -- In a world still wrestling with trade wars and tariff tremors, the image of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim seated beside President Donald Trump in Kuala Lumpur marks a turning point - not merely for Malaysia, but for Asean as a whole.

The signing of a new trade deal to expand market access between Malaysia and the United States underlines that pragmatic diplomacy can thrive even under the "America First" framework of Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) era.

This was not a routine exchange of signatures. It symbolized the culmination of months of meticulous statecraft - quiet consultations, calibrated concessions, and a sophisticated reading of Washington's transactional logic.

For Anwar, this was about unlock...