Since January, Malaysia has stepped into its role as ASEAN chairman for this year. Why is its chairmanship slogan ‘inclusivity and sustainability’?

On the agenda

Malaysia is heading ASEAN for the fifth time. Previously, it chaired the organisation in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. As the chair country, it is planning to hold more than 300 events. The January meetings of ASEAN foreign ministers and senior officials on Langkawi Island started off the grand plans of the Malaysian chairmanship. The parties had meaningful discussions on the main global and regional issues, including plans for the Association’s external dialogue, the situation in the South China Sea, assessments of the situation in the Middle East and issues relating to Korea.

Regarding ASEAN policy, the need to preserve the ‘central role’ of ASEAN in Southeast Asia, strengthen its unity and commit to multilateral cooperation was unanimously emphasised. The participants noted that the work of the Association is “a key condition for peace, stability and prosperity in the region”. Accordingly, the importance of its actions to “ensure peace, manage conflicts and resolve them” is extremely high. In part, this will be facilitated via plans to strengthen ASEAN cooperation in the field of security, particularly in combatting the latest challenges and threats, i.e. transnational crime, human trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, cyber crime (especially virtual fraudulent networks).

This year it is Malaysia that will become the first regional coordinator of the ASEAN Regional Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), created to respond to security challenges in cyberspace, which will be based in Singapore. This new structure will allow participating countries to exchange information quickly and in real time and, if necessary, discuss, coordinate and agree on joint action in response to emerging threats. As one may see, cooperation between ASEAN members in information security under the Malaysian chairmanship is beginning to acquire a fairly tangible material basis and will be implemented directly in practice.

It would be useful for the world community, especially for the United States and its allies – Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines, who are actively militarising the Asia-Pacific region – to consider another, more traditional, nuclear security issue. The parties at the meeting voiced a reminder about the nuclear-weapon-free status of the Southeast Asian region, their commitment to which ASEAN states have once again confirmed. ASEAN is doing exactly the right thing by reminding about such things because in the heat of the race of various types of weapons and military blocs, many of their participants would prefer to ‘forget about it’.

Finally, the parties have already begun preparations for a future summit, which will be held this year in Kuala Lumpur, and are creating an ASEAN development strategy until 2045.

ASEAN 58.0

One may say that ASEAN is currently continuing to fully develop integration and to coordinate the foreign policy of its members to prevent outside attempts to bring discord into its ranks. Its members are well aware that together they are strong and a pole of international relations, and that collective efforts help them, in general, successfully resist attempts to impose their point of view on unscrupulous external partners.

The restoration of Myanmar’s participation in ASEAN events and initiatives, which has already become the norm, is a diplomatic factor to which much attention has been drawn. It even received two awards from the ASEAN Tourism Forum the other day. Despite the fact that ASEAN members still continue to express concern about the state of public peace and order in this country, one would like to hope that the labelling of states and regimes will be overcome and left in the past.

Another important aspect is the issue of East Timor’s admission to ASEAN. So far, the island state has an observer status, but it is already taking part in events, which generally demonstrates both its own commitment to the ‘ASEAN identity’ and the willingness of its Association partners to maintain constant contacts with the small state.

ASEAN future: Malaysian view

Malaysia’s active involvement in the Association and the magnitude of its plans reflect Kuala Lumpur’s view of the importance of ASEAN’s development. Malaysia, which rightly calls itself one of the founders of the Association, is now objectively interested in taking ties to a new level. According to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian chairmanship should bring ASEAN closer to fulfilling the objectives of the development strategy until 2045, make it “more sustainable, more innovative and human-oriented” and “breathe new life into ASEAN dialogue formats”.

Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan stressed the determination of Malaysia to “restore ASEAN’s position in managing the processes in the Asia-Pacific region” and “defend the Association’s’ central role in the region. At the same time, he underlined the need to “use the ASEAN mechanism in the South China Sea to prevent a situation in which we can be divided”.

The Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who represents Malaysia at ASEAN senior officials’ meetings, A.M. Zin, stated that cooperation under the leadership of Kuala Lumpur will be “much broader than just a set of high-level meetings”. In developing cooperation, it is planned to focus on the interests of the rural population of Southeast Asian countries, small and medium-sized enterprises, women, youth and people with disabilities, as well as to strengthen multilateral ties through business and tourism.

National interest

In economic terms, the Malaysian chairmanship is determined to promote increased trade and investment between member countries, create an “inclusive and sustainable development trajectory for ASEAN”, “promote the integration and interconnectedness of economies” and, what looks particularly ambitious, “to build an ASEAN that will be sustainable in the digital sphere”. Equally important are the construction of a ‘green’ economy and the environmental priorities of multilateral cooperation.

At the same time, Malaysia, leading by example, shows how ASEAN integration and multilateral ties can contribute to the development of national economies. Its own economic interest in the chairmanship is also present and seems natural and very positive. For example, in 2025, the state has planned an entire campaign to promote Malaysian goods at the global and regional levels, present local crafts and hold international exhibitions (by the way, among them are not only regular events that have already proven themselves previously, but also brand-new ideas). Large-scale travel campaigns from various states of the country are also planned throughout the year.

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Assertions about the ‘central role’ of ASEAN in Southeast Asia, claims to a special role in the Asia-Pacific region and talk about the importance of multilateral ties for regional security are not just empty words. Today, in the era of numerous geopolitical confrontations and risks, unity and competent leadership are more important than ever for the Association. Therefore, I would like to voice from Russia to the newly appointed ASEAN chairman wishes of success and a fair wind in such a responsible matter as bringing the organisation to maximum compliance with modern realities to successfully cope with the regional challenges shaking the Asia Pacific.

Ksenia Muratshina, PhD in History, Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Southeast Asia, Australia and Oceania of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Courtesy

https://journal-neo.su/2025/02/01/malaysia-steps-into-its-asean-chairmanship/