Asean’s house is burning – this is what we need to put out the flames

An aerial view of a forest fire in Mukah, Sarawak, in July 2025. It took days to put out as it involved areas with peat soil, which retains heat allowing fires to sometimes smoulder underground and erupt again. – ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star

VIETNAMESE monk Thich Nhat Hanh once wrote, “If your house is on fire, the most urgent thing to do is to go back and try to put out the fire, not to run after the person you believe to be the arsonist”. 

Today, Asean’s house is metaphorically on fire. Our cities are clouded with haze and heatwaves. Extreme weather events like floods and droughts disrupt lives and economies. Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities. Yet instead of joining forces to put out the flames, we continue to argue over language, responsibility, and political sensitivities.