Albanese and Anwar find common ground in defending the Pope against Trump

Kuala Lumpur: Separated by religion but united in their support for the Pope, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese backed in his Malaysian counterpart’s veiled criticism of US President Donald Trump’s war on Iran and his attacks on the Catholic leader.

Albanese was in Kuala Lumpur for urgent talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on fuel and food security concerns, triggered by a worsening energy crisis as Iran and the US fight to choke the critical shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking at a joint media conference, the leaders found common ground in defending Pope Leo, who has ignited Trump’s rage for condemning the Iran war, even as the crisis has exposed their conflicting geopolitical leanings when it comes to relationships with Tehran and Moscow.

Albanese described the Pope as a “thoughtful, dignified, and extraordinary person” and a “very significant figure in global affairs” and said he was honoured to have met him last year.

The remarks will be widely interpreted as an implicit rebuke of Trump’s outburst this week when he denounced the pontiff on social media as being “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy”, and posted a since-deleted AI image of himself as a Jesus-like figure.

Anwar, citing his Muslim faith and Albanese’s Catholic upbringing, said the two leaders otherwise shared the Pope’s “desire for peace, for justice, and for an end to atrocities”.

“I think any reasonable or sane person, and even I as a Muslim and Malaysians generally, certainly support the position taken by the Pope,” Anwar said.

Both men refrained from directly condemning Trump for his decision to wage war on Iran in concert with Israel, underscoring the delicate geopolitical tightrope they are walking as they grapple with the downstream consequence of strangled access to oil, diesel, fertiliser and food.

Standing beside his Australian guest, Anwar said he had assured Albanese that Australia would be given “primacy” in access to excess fuel supplies through Malaysia’s state-owned oil giant Petronas, but with the caveat that his own country’s requirements must first be met.

He also defended Malaysia’s “good relations” with Russia and Iran, which have been heavily sanctioned by the US and its allies, when asked for his views on buying oil from the two countries.

“My priority is to protect the interests of the people of this country,” Anwar said.

Malaysia recognises only sanctions imposed by the United Nations, not sanctions imposed by individual countries. It imports hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Russian oil and fuel each year, some of which is sold on to Australia, undermining Canberra’s commitment to sanctions against Moscow for waging war on Ukraine.

Anwar said Malaysia was using its ties with Tehran to advocate for peace and an opening of the strait, but signalled support for Iran’s call for guarantees against future US attacks as part of the negotiations to end the war.

“Whilst supporting the position of freedom of navigation, we also want guarantee from countries, big powers included, to end that animosity and attack and even sanctions against other countries,” he said.

It is a contrast with Australia’s severed relationship with the Islamic Republic, which prompted Canberra to expel Iran’s ambassador last year over the government’s links to antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.

In Muslim-majority Malaysia, Israel’s war on Gaza is a visceral issue. While Albanese’s decision last year to formally recognise the State of Palestine has been contentious domestically, particularly among Jewish groups, it has been welcomed by Australia’s Muslim Asian neighbours, and drew praise from Anwar.

“ I appreciate Australia’s stance on Gaza, calling for an end to hostilities, supporting humanitarian assistance and working towards a lasting resolution. That position matters,” he said.

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