Anwar Calls For ASEAN’s Second Renaissance To Shape A Sustainable Future

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for a transformative era for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as Malaysia prepares to assume the bloc's chairmanship in 2025.

In his opinion piece titled “ASEAN’s Second Renaissance Is Now” for Project Syndicate, Anwar outlined Malaysia’s vision to advance the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, focusing on fostering inclusivity, resilience, and sustainable growth across Southeast Asia.

"Malaysia’s chairmanship will prioritise shared progress, anchored by the theme of ASEAN 2025: Inclusivity and Sustainability. It seeks to combine economic pragmatism with human-centred values to ensure that no one is left behind."

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“The vision includes a pledge to create a rules-based regional order – one that not only safeguards prosperity but also enhances Southeast Asia’s stability while navigating tensions between great powers," he wrote in the piece, published online recently.

Anwar also emphasised the importance of Timor-Leste’s admission as a full ASEAN member, a move that completes the geographical Southeast Asia map and provides the nation with a platform for development and strategic autonomy. 

As global tensions and challenges such as climate disruption and great-power competition intensify, Anwar said ASEAN must stand united or risk succumbing to divisive forces. 

“The ambition is not merely to uphold stability but to shape a just regional order. This vision also includes a commitment to ending the turmoil in Myanmar, a test that ASEAN’s collective conscience must pass if it is to maintain its credibility,” he added.

ASEAN’s developmental approach, according to Anwar, rejects unchecked capitalism and state-subsidised trade from external powers. 

Instead, it prioritises human welfare through investments in education, healthcare, and poverty reduction.

On the economic front, Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship will focus on deepening partnerships with ASEAN+ partners including China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand -- as well as emerging global groupings such as BRICS+. 

Anwar said these alliances would enhance foreign investment, market access and infrastructure development, aligning with Malaysia’s New Industrial Master Plan 2030.

“Engaging more deeply is essential. Upcoming engagements, including a summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council and China, signal ASEAN’s intent to expand economic and strategic networks beyond its immediate borders.

“The COVID-19 pandemic revealed just how vulnerable global supply chains can be, underscoring the need for ASEAN to mitigate these risks by strengthening its own resilience and diversifying its partnerships,” he said.

Digital transformation will be another cornerstone of ASEAN’s strategy for resilience.

Technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and big-data analytics, Anwar said, could enhance supply-chain transparency and bolster the region’s economic stability.

Reflecting on his 1996 book, The Asian Renaissance, Anwar expressed optimism for ASEAN’s next transformation. 

“The values of compassion, justice, and integrity must be woven into ASEAN’s future to achieve a second renaissance that benefits all,” he wrote, adding that ASEAN’s rise should deliver peace, justice and prosperity not only within the region but on the global stage.

Project Syndicate is a global platform renowned for featuring exclusive contributions from prominent political leaders, policymakers, scholars, business leaders, and civic activists.

-- BERNAMA