KUALA LUMPUR: The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has affected every Asean nation, with a crisis looming, says the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah.
The Perak ruler said the ongoing conflict would directly affect the economies of countries in the region.
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"The surging prices of energy, fertilisers and transport are driving up food prices, increasing production and distribution costs, and fuelling inflation. The worst affected are countries with low energy reserves.
“An economic crisis is looming. Livelihoods will continue to be affected for months even if the Strait is reopened in the near term.
“It is therefore imperative that negotiations to end the West Asian (Middle East) conflict are concluded swiftly and successfully,” he said in his keynote address before launching the Putrajaya Forum, held during the Defence Services Asia and National Security Asia 2026 exhibitions on Tuesday (April 21).
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He also reflected on the pressing environmental issue, urging prompt action.
“Environmental security is not a luxury agenda to be deferred until wealthier times. It is the foundation on which every other aspect of planetary and human security rests. A region that cannot feed itself, supply itself with water, or protect its coastlines from inundation cannot be secure in any meaningful sense, however sophisticated its military technologies are.
“I would therefore urge this forum to adopt planetary health as a formal pillar of Asean's comprehensive security framework, not as a gesture of environmental conscience, but as a recognition of strategic reality,” he said.
He also emphasised that the region’s security challenges were varied and numerous.
“Each one of these challenges can be mitigated through the considered and equitable deployment of technology. Yet, if applied carelessly or in the service of narrow interests, technology could instead exacerbate them all.
“Technology will inevitably shape our future; the real issue is whether we will shape technology in a manner that upholds peace, stability and human dignity. We must nurture a generation that is not only technologically proficient but also guided by a powerful sense of moral responsibility, that is, a generation with strong hearts as well as brilliant minds.
“As Asean stands at this ‘edge’, we must recognise that while competition drives innovation, cooperation is what gives it meaning. True security lies in working together, not in isolation,” he said.
