KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has contributed USD100,000 in total to the Timor Leste unit at the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wisma Putra announces.
Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said this was to expedite and assist Timor-Leste’s Asean permanent membership.
“This unit will help Timor-Leste in their bid to be a full Asean member state by this year,” he said.
“Malaysia is committed to supporting the full membership of Timor-Leste in Asean.
“As the Chair of Asean 2025, Malaysia will ensure that this issue will be a priority in meetings, including the Asean Summit.
He said Malaysia will spearhead efforts to expedite the implementation of the plan, specifically the 88 legal instruments and the Asean agreement that Timor-Leste needs to fulfil.
Mohamad was responding during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Feb 6) to a question by Datuk Seri Mohd Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) who had asked for Malaysia's contribution to ensure full membership of Timor-Leste in Asean.
Mohamad said that during the meeting in Vientiane last year, Malaysia had suggested that membership requirements be made easier for Timor-Leste, with a grace period to achieve them.
“Malaysia had suggested that Timor-Leste should achieve between 20% and 30% of the total requirements and give the country time so that they can fulfil the requirements slowly,” he said, adding that the proposal has been accepted by Asean state members.
Timor-Leste was recognised as an Asean observer state and joined the Asean Regional Forum in 2005 before officially applying for membership on March 4, 2011.
In 2022, Asean leaders gathered at the 40th and 41st Asean Summits and Related Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and agreed in principle for Timor-Leste to become the bloc’s 11th member.
Timor-Leste has also been granted observer status to participate in all Asean meetings, including plenary sessions.
