CYBERJAYA: Asean has demonstrated its capacity to act decisively under Malaysia’s current chairmanship, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (pic).
Citing efforts to address the Thailand-Cambodia border dispute, he said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s bold initiative had resulted in a brokered ceasefire and the planned deployment of an interim monitoring team.
“When tensions flared between our neighbours, Malaysia, as Asean Chair, convened both parties in Putrajaya and helped broker a ceasefire, one that is being actively implemented, monitored and backed by Asean.
“Thank you, Prime Minister, for your bold initiative to bring the two leaders of Thailand and Cambodia together,” he said in his speech at the 58th Asean Day celebration here yesterday, which was attended by Anwar, Bernama reported.
Thailand and Cambodia have agreed on the terms of the ceasefire, and Mohamad announced the establishment of an interim monitoring team.
“This was more than a diplomatic exercise. It was a demonstration of Asean’s ability to act and its value as a platform,” he added.
On the Myanmar conflict, Mohamad said Asean had pursued principled yet practical crisis management, ranging from humanitarian engagement and calls for an expanded ceasefire to proposing a permanent special envoy to handle the protracted crisis.
“We are focused on restoring credibility to the five-point consensus and supporting the people of Myanmar in their time of need,” he said.
Mohamad said that over the past 58 years, with each new member state and dialogue partner, Asean has evolved into an organisation like no other, setting a new standard for diversity in global governance.
For Malaysia, he said Asean has always been central to the region’s engagement with the world, grounded in consensus and shared purpose, and committed to building an inclusive and sustainable South-East Asia.
“As we advance through the second half of our chairmanship, I’m proud to see Asean adapting to the challenges of our time.
“The Asean Community Vision 2045 – our shared blueprint for the next 20 years – charts a path toward a more resilient, innovative and people-centred region,” he said.
Mohamad said that superpower competition in the 1960s fractured the world, leading to the creation of Asean.
He said that the smaller, newly independent states, emerging from the aftermath of World War II, found themselves extremely vulnerable under the weight of giants.
“In those challenging times, it was a remarkable decision for the five South-East Asian nations – Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – to convene in Bangkok and commit to navigating the complexities of the world together.
“Thus, Asean was born into a fragile, war-torn world. It was an experiment in peacemaking and minilateralism,” he added.
Asean Day is celebrated annually on Aug 8 to commemorate the inception of Asean in 1967, when Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand signed the Asean Declaration (Bangkok Declaration).
