MALAYSIA continues to play a central role in regional diplomacy as the 47th ASEAN Summit entered its second day on Monday, with five major meetings scheduled to deepen cooperation with key strategic partners.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s senior press secretary, Tunku Nashrul Abaidah, said the series of engagements would reinforce Malaysia’s leadership in driving economic collaboration and regional security within ASEAN.
“Today, we have the ASEAN–Republic of Korea Summit, ASEAN Plus Three Summit, ASEAN–United Nations Summit, East Asia Summit and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit,” he said.
He added that the discussions would focus on strengthening cooperation in digital transformation, clean energy transition, geopolitical stability, and the resilience of regional supply chains.
“ASEAN must continue to be seen as the centre of economic growth and a driver of strategic stability in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
Reflecting on the first day of the summit, Tunku Nashrul said proceedings had gone smoothly and delivered several key achievements for both Malaysia and ASEAN.
“The Prime Minister chaired five major summits, including those with the United States, Japan and India. These meetings served as platforms to strengthen strategic relations with ASEAN’s dialogue partners,” he said.
A historic moment was also recorded when Timor-Leste was formally admitted as ASEAN’s 11th member — a milestone Malaysia hailed as a triumph of regional solidarity.
“Malaysia has consistently supported Timor-Leste’s participation in ASEAN through training, technical cooperation and capacity-building initiatives,” he said.
Malaysia also played a leading role in facilitating the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, signed yesterday in the presence of Anwar and US President Donald Trump.
“This marks the beginning of the end to their dispute and allows ASEAN observers, including Malaysia, to assess the implementation of the peace process,” Tunku Nashrul said.
He added that Anwar is scheduled to hold several bilateral meetings with regional leaders before attending the ASEAN Gala Dinner this evening, alongside ASEAN and dialogue partner leaders.
“Malaysia remains committed to strengthening regional unity and ensuring that every form of cooperation benefits the people of Southeast Asia,” he said, expressing hope that the day’s sessions would yield meaningful outcomes for shared prosperity. - October 27, 2025
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