Kuala Lampur, Jan. 8 -- The magnetic pull of BRICS is undeniable. A significant swathe of the Global South is knocking firmly on the grouping's door. This surge in interest is a symptom of a world straining under the weight of geopolitical fractures, economic uncertainty, and a profound disillusionment with the perceived failures and hypocrisies of the existing, largely Western-led, international order.

As war rages in Europe, tensions simmer in Asia, and global institutions falter, the critical question emerges: Can BRICS truly define the emerging world order? The appeal of BRICS today lies less in a shared vision for humanity. For decades, many nations in the Global South have chafed under a system they see as disproportionately servin...