Trump turns on the charm - and so does Asean

US President's visit has left an indelible mark on his hosts, Malaysia and Asean

- Shannon Teoh Malaysia Bureau Chief

US President Donald Trump arrived at his second Asean Summit on Oct 26 armed with praises and diplomatic compliments - and Southeast Asian leaders were more than happy to return the favour.

He began the day by commending three Southeast Asian prime ministers, including Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim, for their role in the Thailand-Cambodia peace deal, stating that “the three men sitting here should be credited with doing an incredible job for humanity”.

Later at the Asean-US summit, Mr Trump described the region's leaders as “spectacular leaders” and “incredible people” of “genius”, whose every “touch turns to gold”.

Asean leaders reciprocated with their own expressions of appreciation. Prime Minister Anwar, who has previously been a stern critic of American policy in the Gaza conflict, praised Mr Trump's “tenacity and courage because the world needs leaders who promote peace strongly”.

When opening the Asean-US summit, Datuk Seri Anwar – speaking as Asean chairman – said Mr Trump’s leadership could even pave the way for “a just and durable peace” in Gaza and the world at large.

“It has given the world a glimmer of hope that even in the most intractable conflicts, diplomacy and determination can prevail,” he added, referring to Mr Trump's 20-point peace plan announced in September, which has garnered support across Europe and the Arab world.

The entire tenor of Mr Trump’s visit was chummy, congratulatory and cooperative. As soon as he disembarked from Air Force One, both he and host, Mr Anwar, shared a shimmy and shake to the tune of Hawaii Five-O.

Mr Anwar even dared to crack some jokes. Having accepted Mr Trump's invitation to ride in the armoured limousine dubbed The Beast from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Mr Anwar said the US President was “delighted to break the rules” by not following his own security protocol.