Kuala Lampur, Oct. 26 -- There are moments in international relations when two figures-so starkly different in temperament, philosophy, and style-end up driving the same vehicle of history. In 2025, that vehicle is "The Beast": the armoured limousine that carries not just the President of the United States but, symbolically, the weight of global expectations, fears, and opportunities.

When Donald Trump re-enters the Asean and East Asia Summit circuit, and Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim sits across from him in Kuala Lumpur, the "Beast" is no longer just a car. It becomes a metaphor for the unpredictable yet necessary convergence between American power and South-east Asian pragmatism.

When Anwar was invited into the Beast by Pres...