(L-R) Laos' Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, Myanmar's Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs Aung Kyaw Moe, Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar, Ibrahim, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet, Indonesian President Probowo Subianto and Prime Minister of Timor-Leste Xanana Gusmao joint hands for a group photo as they attend the 46th ASEAN- Summit, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, — AZHAR MAHFOF/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Asean is determined to create its own future, instead of waiting for it to happen.
That was the message from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as he and fellow Asean leaders officially signed the Asean 2045: Our Shared Future blueprint – a long-term vision to steer the region through global uncertainty and rapid change.
“It is often said that the best way to predict the future is to create it,” Anwar said at the official signing ceremony at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here yesterday.
“This is what Asean has sought to do, through decades of steady effort, shared stewardship and strategic vision.”
Describing the document as a living pledge for future generations, Anwar said the shared vision was not merely aspirational but grounded in practical ambition.
The signing of the blueprint, he said, marks a pivotal step in the region’s strategy for inclusive, sustainable development and regional cohesion.
“It is a vision anchored in realism, animated by resolve and made possible by trust,” he added.
The Asean 2045: Our Shared Future blueprint, adopted nearly a decade after the Asean Community Vision 2025 was launched, is intended to guide the region through mounting global uncertainty – from geopolitical tensions to climate change and rapid technological disruption.
Anwar added that Asean needed to lead in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, digital innovation, and both green and blue economies while stressing that the technologies must be governed carefully to avoid widening inequality or displacing livelihoods.
Framing Asean’s future as people-centred, the Prime Minister said: “The future we seek must rest on foundations of sustainability and inclusion.”
Reflecting on Asean’s founding in 1967, Anwar said the new vision renews the bloc’s original promise of peace, freedom and prosperity.
The Asean 2045 document was endorsed by all member states namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, who are here for the regional summit this week.
