Defence Minister Mohamad Hasan Pleased With 17th Admm Outcomes

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

AKARTA, Nov 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan expressed contentment with the results of the two-day 17th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and 10th ADMM-Plus meetings, which deliberated on the security interests of the ASEAN region.

Speaking to reporters after the ADMM chairman handover ceremony to Laos from Indonesia at the end of the meeting, the minister said the discussions at ADMM encompassed regional security, cooperation, and the imperative to strengthen ASEAN centrality.

"Each state raised concerns specific to its region. Malaysia focused on the South China Sea due to our maritime status and maintaining a strong position supporting open and free passage for all.

"We emphasized the importance of respecting international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982," Mohamad said.

He believed that the ADMM, being a platform for collective problem-solving, would allow collaborative efforts to address the complexities of the South China Sea situation.

Meanwhile, during the ADMM Plus meeting, Mohamad reiterated Malaysia’s condemnation of terrorism and civilian casualties, particularly women and children in Gaza.

"We want everybody to de-escalate, stand down, have a ceasefire, and adopt the resolution passed by the United Nations on Oct 27," he said of the ongoing Hamas-Israeli conflict in Gaza.

The ADMM-Plus meeting, chaired by Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto, is a platform for ASEAN and eight dialogue partners, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the United States, to assess security and defense cooperation for regional peace, stability, and development.

Regarding the views of ASEAN countries on the Palestine issue, Mohamad stated that each country had its own perspective but generally agreed that the situation needs urgent attention to prevent the loss of lives.

"Malaysia strongly asserts that Palestinians should not be relocated from their own land. There should be no effort to place them elsewhere because that is their land," Mohamad added.

-- BERNAMA