BY TENGKU NOOR SHAMSIAH TENGKU ABDULLAH
KUALA LUMPUR, APRIL 8 – Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim today urged ASEAN businesses to intensify regional integration and diversify partnerships amid escalating global trade tensions triggered by sweeping new U.S. tariffs.
In his keynote address at the ASEAN Investment Conference, Anwar said the region must “move beyond rhetoric to execution” by advancing intra-ASEAN trade, cross-border logistics, digital payments, and regulatory harmonisation – key components of a resilient and inclusive ASEAN economy.
“The global trading system is under intense strain. Protectionism is back, and supply chains are being redrawn. ASEAN must rely more on itself,” said Anwar, pointing to the newly announced “Trump tariffs” as a stark reminder of rising economic nationalism.
While reaffirming Malaysia’s commitment to its U.S. trading relationship, Anwar stressed the importance of pragmatic engagement. “We do not believe in megaphone diplomacy,” he said, noting that Malaysian officials would begin quiet consultations in Washington. Meanwhile, Malaysia is accelerating efforts to diversify trade ties across the EU, Asia, Middle East and Africa.
Key announcements from his address included:
- The launch of the ASEAN Simplified ESG Disclosure Guide for SMEs, aimed at helping small businesses meet global sustainability requirements;
- Progress on the ASEAN Power Grid, including a project transmitting electricity from Vietnam to Malaysia and Singapore;
- Expansion of ASEAN payment linkages, now connecting Malaysia and Cambodia, with a vision to integrate all ten ASEAN markets;
- Greater support for regional champions in finance, healthcare, logistics, energy and digital services.
“We cannot let SMEs fall behind. Compliance with ESG standards can be daunting for a company of five people. This guide gives them a starting point,” Anwar said.
Highlighting green growth and the digital economy as future drivers of competitiveness, Anwar urged investors to see climate resilience and digital inclusion not as moral imperatives but business necessities.
“The technologies that will dominate the next decade—low-emission innovation, AI, carbon markets—are already here. ASEAN must ensure it is not just a consumer of these innovations, but a contributor,” he said.
Anwar concluded by reiterating ASEAN’s unique strength: its ability to weather global volatility through quiet consensus, durable institutions, and pragmatic cooperation.
“In a world retreating into silos, ASEAN must remain one of the last believers in open, rules-based cooperation. We’ve done it before. We can do it again.”
- TNS NEWS