PETALING JAYA: Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean) countries should create better cooperation with each other so they can race to the top and build societies aligned with the Asean Community Vision 2045 proposal, says Liew Chin Tong.
“There was pressure by the multinational companies for us to compete against each other by offering tax cuts, suppressing wages and destroying our environment in order to compete for them to invest in our respective countries,” the Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister said.
“This went on for years, and we have been told to do this in order to achieve economic growth.
“Moving forward, I think it is time for us to think about this. We must set a floor. We must talk to each other,” he said at a dialogue session entitled “Asean in a Multipolar World” held at the 25th Asia News Network (ANN) Anniversary programme here yesterday.
He added that Malaysia must also work to strengthen the Asean chairmanship through cooperation between its members beyond its one-year role.
Liew said it was important to get the members to agree to adopt Malaysia’s concept of the Asean Community Vision 2045 proposal as a development guide for the next 20 years.
“If we have the political will and our colleagues in other countries have the political will, we should strengthen the secretariat.
“Every year comes and goes in the form of a rotating chair. Very little can be achieved without a longer term,” he said.
“It is important to strengthen the Asean secretariat. We need to have a clear mission and strengthen the Asean chair.
“Personally, I would suggest that the Philippines, who is the next chair-country, be involved in some of our activities.
“I hope my government will practise it across the board so that we can gradually evolve to a form of cooperation where the current chair, next chair and the following chair can work together,” he said.
Malaysia is set to assume the Asean chairmanship from Laos at the Asean summit in October this year.
On media participation, Liew revealed that there were plans to foster cooperation between Asean countries by bringing together economic and business editors in Kuala Lumpur next year.
“We can discuss the future economic narrative and also future ideas on how we should move forward as an organisation in Asean. And maybe also moving beyond.
“We should have explained the economic relations and interconnectedness to the wider public,” he said, citing the example of onion supply from India to Malaysia.
