KUALA LUMPUR: Timor-Leste is on track to become a full member of Asean by the regional bloc's second summit in October or November this year, according to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Malaysia, serving as the Asean chair this year, has agreed to expedite Timor-Leste's membership process following a decision made at the recent Asean Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Langkawi.
"This process is currently underway, and if everything goes as planned, there is a strong possibility that Timor-Leste will become a full Asean member by the second (Asean) Summit in Oct or Nov this year," Mohamad stated after speaking at the Concorde Club meeting on Monday (Feb 24).
Mohamad, known affectionately as Tok Mat, noted that Timor-Leste must comply with around 88 instruments to gain full membership, with 69 of these related to the economic pillar.
"We have agreed to establish a special unit at the Asean secretariat in Jakarta to assist Timor-Leste in expediting this process.
"I have requested the economic sector, led by Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz (Investment, Trade and Industry Minister), to assess whether all these required instruments are still necessary or applicable.
"It turns out that many of the 69 instruments that Timor-Leste needs to comply with are no longer relevant. We are currently negotiating to remove these unnecessary instruments so that Timor-Leste will not have to go through redundant requirements," Mohamad explained.
"In principle, we have agreed that even if Timor-Leste is unable to fully comply with all these instruments immediately, we will allow them to meet about 30% of the requirements first.
"Once they become a full Asean member, they will be given a period of between three and five years to gradually sign and comply with the remaining instruments," he added.
During the two-day Asean Foreign Ministers' Retreat, Timor-Leste's progress in implementing the roadmap towards full membership was commended by the foreign ministers.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had previously reaffirmed Malaysia's unwavering support for Timor-Leste's inclusion in Asean, aligning it with the vision of fostering greater unity and sustainability across the region.
