ADMM, ADMM-Plus In Kuala Lumpur Set To Drive 20 Joint ASEAN Defence Initiatives
By Ahmad Syabil Sultan Noordin Ahmad
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 (Bernama) -- The 19th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the 12th ADMM-Plus, to be held from Oct 30 to Nov 2, are expected to see the implementation of 20 joint initiatives, the highest ever in the regional defence forum’s history.
Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) Policy and Strategic Planning Division undersecretary Datuk Muhammad Ammir Haron said the initiatives include 10 concept papers, guidelines and protocols aimed at strengthening strategic cooperation among member states; the implementation of four ASEAN maritime exercises and additional training; as well as a joint statement and declaration.
“The ASEAN Defence Industry Collaboration Conference initiative, which included an additional session focusing on regional defence industry development, was also held. This meeting also introduced the Observership Programme, which saw Turkiye and Germany participating as observer countries, further expanding ASEAN’s defence diplomacy to the global stage,” he told Bernama here.
Muhammad Ammir said all the initiatives reflected Malaysia’s commitment as ASEAN Chair in 2025 to strengthening trust, transparency and security cooperation in the Southeast Asian region, in line with ASEAN’s principles of rejecting confrontation and promoting dialogue and mutual understanding.
He said this year’s ADMM and ADMM-Plus would therefore be among the most significant gatherings since their inception in 2006.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Ammir said all 11 ASEAN member states, including Timor-Leste, which was recently admitted as a full member, had confirmed their attendance at the meeting to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) here.
He said that eight Plus dialogue partner countries, namely the United States, Russia, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, had also confirmed their participation.
“The strength of ASEAN, particularly Malaysia, lies in its ability to provide a safe and trusted environment that enables major powers to engage in dialogue without geopolitical pressure, with Malaysia remaining steadfast in upholding the principle of neutrality.
“Malaysia remains non-aligned with any major power but is firm on humanitarian issues such as Gaza. The hedging policy adopted by Malaysia enables the country to maintain good relations with all parties, including in security and economic areas, without aligning with any particular power bloc,” Muhammad Ammir said.
He said preparations for Malaysia’s chairmanship began early this year, with coordination undertaken through the Whole-of-Government, Whole-of-Society (WOGOS) approach as set out in the Defence White Paper.
Muhammad Ammir said MINDEF had led a series of meetings with ASEAN counterparts and Plus countries, with close assistance from the Foreign Ministry and several other ministries, including the Home Ministry and the Health Ministry.
“Among the key preparations was the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Retreat held in Penang on Feb 26, where all 10 defence ministers agreed on the strategic direction for the region’s defence, followed by a session involving senior officers led by the MINDEF secretary-general in Desaru on Sept 24 and 25,” he said.
Commenting on the areas of focus at this year’s ADMM, Muhammad Ammir said they include cybersecurity, maritime security and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the defence sector, which is expected to shape the region’s new security landscape in the near future.
“Cyber attacks now occur almost every day, coupled with concerns over Critical Underwater Infrastructure (CUI), such as submarine communication cables, as incidents of cable disconnection could affect the stability of the country’s digital economy.
“In the field of AI, Malaysia and the other 10 ASEAN countries have agreed to develop a regional policy on the ethical use of AI in defence to ensure the technology is used responsibly, based on the ‘human-in-the-loop’ principle, where the final decision remains with humans and not machines,” he said.
Muhammad Ammir stressed that security stability was a prerequisite for the country’s economic prosperity, particularly in relation to the implementation of the Blue Economy Action Plan currently being drafted by the government.
“Economic ties cannot grow without strong security. ADMM and ADMM-Plus serve not only as diplomatic forums but also as platforms to ensure that our region remains peaceful, stable and prosperous,” he said.
--BERNAMA
