Malaysia brokers landmark peace pact between Thailand and Cambodia at ASEAN summit

MALAYSIA has successfully brokered a peace agreement between Thailand and Cambodia to resolve a deadly border dispute, marking a major diplomatic milestone under its ASEAN chairmanship, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told Parliament today.

Anwar said the detailed terms of the peace accord had been finalised by both countries’ defence ministers and are expected to be signed during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this weekend.

 The signing ceremony will be witnessed by United States President Donald Trump, alongside other global leaders.

“We were successful in helping solve the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. Just recently, the defence ministers of both countries finalised the detailed terms of the peace agreement, and if agreed upon, the signing will be witnessed by Trump, who also supports this resolution, as well as myself,” Anwar said during the Prime Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat.

He added that several rounds of talks between Thai and Cambodian military and foreign ministers had taken place in Kuala Lumpur, culminating in the current peace initiative.

The agreement follows a ceasefire reached in July between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, hosted by Malaysia as ASEAN Chair.

The truce led to the formation of the General Border Committee (GBC) to monitor peace conditions along the disputed frontier.

Turning to Myanmar, Anwar said Malaysia also played a key role in facilitating dialogue that led to an agreement by the junta to halt fighting and allow unrestricted humanitarian access amid its ongoing civil conflict.

“While no final resolution has been reached, significant progress has been made in efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the country. Although there have been isolated shooting incidents, large-scale offensives and acts of oppression, including attacks against the Rohingya, have largely ceased,” he said.

He added that Malaysia had been granted rare access to deliver humanitarian aid into Myanmar and had engaged directly with its leadership.

“I have met Myanmar’s Prime Minister twice, in Bangkok and Beijing. The foreign minister, along with his ASEAN counterparts, has also held meetings with their Myanmar counterparts,” he said.

Anwar said Malaysia’s approach as ASEAN Chair this year was anchored in the principle of “ASEAN Centrality” — a redefined version of the bloc’s traditional neutrality policy that calls for greater intra-regional engagement and collective action on pressing political, economic and security challenges.

“Previously, we did not speak much about neutrality, so we changed it to the nomenclature of centrality. When we say neutral, it’s as if we don’t want to say anything at all.

Centrality means we continue to interact and can put effort into solving inter-state problems,” Anwar explained.

The 47th ASEAN Summit, to be held from 26 to 28 October at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, will bring together leaders from ASEAN’s 10 member states, with Timor-Leste poised to join as the bloc’s 11th member.

Among those expected to attend are President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. - October 23, 2025