KUALA LUMPUR: Asean must strengthen its regional disaster response capabilities, improve coordination and ensure its armed forces are ready to respond swiftly and effectively, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
He said the increasingly complex and interconnected threats facing the region required greater preparedness, stronger cooperation and sustained investment in capabilities that would benefit the people.
"No Asean member state, regardless of its resources, can address these challenges entirely on its own," he said in his opening remarks at the 20th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in Cebu, the Philippines on Wednesday (Oct 28).
Khaled said Asean must build on existing mechanisms, including the Asean Militaries Ready Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (AMRG on HADR), to strengthen operational readiness and improve coordination among member states.
He cited Asean’s response to last year’s earthquake in Myanmar as an example of regional cooperation in deploying military assets to disaster-affected areas.
He also stressed the importance of strengthening communities’ ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from disasters and other crises.
"We must also develop strong local and regional capacity to respond effectively," he said, adding that resilience must be matched by continued prevention and preparedness.
On regional security, Khaled said Asean’s unity and stability must be preserved amid intensifying strategic competition, uncertainty and evolving security threats.
He said the South China Sea remained one of the most significant tests of Asean’s unity, credibility and commitment to its founding principles.
Acknowledging that several member states had overlapping maritime claims, he said every country had legitimate interests in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial rights.
However, he stressed that disputes should not be allowed to divide the regional bloc or undermine decades of efforts to maintain peace.
"No dispute, however deeply rooted, should be allowed to fracture Asean or undermine the peace we have spent decades building," he said.
Khaled also called on member states to maintain dialogue, manage differences constructively and uphold the wider interests of the region.
He noted that Asean would mark its 60th anniversary next year, providing an opportunity to reflect on its achievements in sustaining dialogue and preserving regional peace and stability.
With this year also marking the 20th anniversary of the ADMM, Khaled said Asean must move beyond traditional approaches to address emerging threats.
"We require greater collective preparedness, stronger coordination and sustained investment in capabilities that deliver tangible benefits to our people," he said.
He added that the success of the ADMM should be measured not merely by the cooperation established among member states, but also by the security and resilience that such cooperation delivered.
Malaysia, he said, remained committed to strengthening the ADMM, upholding Asean centrality and building a more secure and resilient regional community.
