SINGAPORE: The United States has hailed Malaysia’s leadership in rapidly deploying an Asean observer team to the Thailand-Cambodia border, describing the mission as a significant contribution to regional peace and burden-sharing efforts in South-East Asia.
Speaking at the 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth commended Malaysia and the regional bloc for taking proactive steps to reduce tensions and support diplomacy, saying the deployment reflected the region’s growing commitment to maintaining security through collective action.
“Nations in the region are stepping forward to preserve peace, reduce tensions, and support diplomacy with credible capability.
“I commend Malaysia and Asean for their efforts in support of President Donald Trump’s historic peace deal,” he said during his address on United States’ Strategy for Peace in the Indo-Pacific yesterday, Bernama reported.
In October 2025, Thailand and Cambodia signed a peace agreement known as the “KL Peace Accord” on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
The accord, signed by Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, was witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his capacity as Asean Chair and Trump.
Meanwhile, Hegseth said the US has observed its partners, particularly in South-East Asia, stepping up efforts to strengthen regional defence capabilities.
He said Singapore has consistently punched above its weight by investing heavily in its military and serving as a vital hub for US logistics activities and rotational deployments.
Indonesia is also making significant strides in modernising its armed forces and expanding the scale of military exercises with the US, thereby strengthening interoperability and reinforcing regional stability, he said.
“Thailand continues to deepen military cooperation with the US to enhance interoperability and develop necessary readiness.
“We are also seeing the same seriousness of purpose from Vietnam,” he added.
