As the architecture of international order strains under the weight of great-power self-exemption, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has stepped forward to ask a question that haunts dozens of smaller nations: when the rule-writers abandon their own rules, who remains accountable to whom? Speaking from a position neither powerful enough to dictate nor small enough to be ignored, Anwar challenges the assumption that accountability flows only downward — arguing that middle powers, acting in concert, may still be able to hold superpowers to the standards they once proclaimed as universal. T
Al Jazeera
· Aug 16, 2026
· governance
· 1 min de lectura
High
Verificación: Verificado
Anwar Ibrahim: Can Middle Powers Hold Superpowers Accountable?
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Politics & Governance
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Sesgo y Encuadre
⚖
Al Jazeera frames middle powers as victims of superpower rule-breaking, using Anwar Ibrahim to legitimize non-alignment while presenting accountability as questionable.
Bias Direction
center-left
Confidence
MED
Problem-solution framing that emphasizes superpower hypocrisy and middle-power vulnerability, positioning non-alignment as a rational response to systemic injustice.
rules-based order frays
forced to pick sides
ignore the rules they wrote
smaller nations
great-power rivalry
Superpower justifications for their geopolitical strategies
Benefits middle powers have received from existing international order
Practical constraints on middle-power enforcement mechanisms
Perspectives from developed nations on maintaining rules-based systems
Counterarguments to non-alignment as a viable strategy
Impacto Geopolítico
🌎
Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim questions whether middle powers can enforce international accountability as superpowers abandon the rules-based order they created, highlighting sovereignty challenges in great-power competition.
Escalation Risk
moderate
Confidence
HIGH
Southeast Asia
Malaysia
Indo-Pacific
Global South
India
Erosion of Western-led rules-based international order; rising assertiveness of superpowers (US, China) ignoring established norms; middle powers (Malaysia, India, ASEAN) seeking strategic autonomy and alternative alignment strategies; potential shift toward multipolar competition replacing post-Cold War unipolarity.
Similar to Non-Aligned Movement (1960s-80s) when middle powers sought independence from Cold War superpowers; current context involves economic interdependence and technological competition rather than purely ideological division.
Lente Económico
📈
Middle powers face economic pressure as superpowers undermine rules-based trade order, threatening smaller nations' sovereignty and creating uncertainty in global commerce and investment flows.
Market Signal
bearish
Confidence
MED
International Trade
Financial Services
Technology/Supply Chains
Manufacturing
Emerging Markets
Consumers in middle-power nations like Malaysia face potential trade disruptions, higher import costs, reduced foreign investment, and economic instability as geopolitical tensions increase and predictable trade rules erode.
Governments may pursue regional trade blocs (ASEAN, RCEP alternatives), strengthen domestic industries, negotiate bilateral agreements, implement protectionist measures, or seek multilateral reforms to enforce accountability on superpowers through international institutions.