Malaysia Pursues Strong ASEAN Leadership Through Strategic Engagements

By Voon Miaw Ping

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has entered 2025 with a firm foothold in international diplomacy, showcasing its pivotal role as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The past week has been a power-packed and highly productive one for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

In addition to managing national agendas, Anwar hosted consecutive visits by leaders from Singapore, Indonesia and Japan.

During his meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in conjunction with  the 11th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat, the two leaders discussed mutual interests, reinforced the deep-rooted cooperation between their nations, and reaffirmed their commitment to addressing key bilateral issues.

A significant highlight of the meeting was the formalisation of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), hailed as a transformative initiative ushering in a new era of economic collaboration between Malaysia and Singapore.

On Thursday, Anwar welcomed Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur that morning. The two leaders held a closed-door discussion during a private lunch at the iconic Rumah Tangsi.

Despite the brevity of Prabowo’s working visit, their camaraderie was evident.

Anwar later told reporters that he and Prabowo had a heart-to-heart discussion on various issues of mutual interest. Indonesia has pledged to assist and cooperate with Malaysia in its ASEAN Chairmanship this year.

Wong and Prabowo were initially scheduled to visit Malaysia last month, but their plans were postponed due to unexpected circumstances.

Nevertheless, their visits last week took place at an opportune time.

Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia are three of the five founding member states of ASEAN, established in 1967. The other two are the Philippines and Thailand. Today, ASEAN membership has expanded to 10 countries.

Another significant event was the official visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to Malaysia, marking his first trip to the country since assuming office in October last year.

Notably, Malaysia was selected as the destination for his first overseas bilateral trip, reflecting Japan’s recognition of Malaysia’s strategic importance.

These high-level meetings not only deepened bilateral ties between Malaysia and each of these countries but also underscored strong support for Malaysia’s capacity to shape regional cooperation as ASEAN Chair.

International affairs analyst Prof Dr Azizuddin Mohd Sani noted that, as ASEAN Chair, Anwar is showcasing Malaysia’s readiness to leverage its diplomatic finesse and leadership to guide the regional grouping in addressing the increasingly complex regional and global challenges.

Anwar’s strong personal and working relationships with foreign leaders also serve as a key advantage in enhancing Malaysia’s diplomatic influence on the global stage.

“Malaysia, from early on, has set a clear agenda for its chairmanship. Among them, on pressing issues facing the region that include boosting intra trade, increase economic growth, safeguarding regional peace and security, and dealing with the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.

“Although these challenges are complex, Prime Minister Anwar has shown the determination to address them comprehensively,” said Azizuddin, who is also Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International Affairs). 

This weekend, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat will convene on the resort island of Langkawi, officially marking the start of a series of ASEAN meetings to be held under Malaysia’s chairmanship.

Malaysia will host over 300 key meetings and programmes across the country throughout the year under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.

-- BERNAMA