Malaysia’s Chairmanship Focuses on Inclusivity, Sustainability, and Strategic Partnership
By TENGKU NOOR SHAMSIAH TENGKU ABDULLAH
KUALA LUMPUR, May 26, 2025 — Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim officially opened the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this morning, calling on Southeast Asian nations to uphold unity, resilience, and a rules-based order amid rising global uncertainty, trade protectionism, and regional instability.
Delivering his plenary opening remarks as Chair of ASEAN 2025, Anwar welcomed ASEAN Heads of State and Government and extended the theme of Malaysia’s chairmanship — “ASEAN Matters: Inclusivity and Sustainability” — as both a vision and a call to action.
“These milestones offer a renewed sense of optimism and confidence for ASEAN, underscored by remarkable resilience against a backdrop of increasingly complex and sobering global developments,” Anwar said.
“Even a fragile bridge is better than a widening gulf — in matters of peace, quiet engagement matters.”
A Decade of the ASEAN Community — and a New Vision
The summit marks a significant juncture in ASEAN’s journey, as it commemorates ten years since the establishment of the ASEAN Community and prepares to adopt the long-term “ASEAN Community Vision 2045: Our Shared Future.”
Anwar emphasized that ASEAN’s next 20 years must be built on “equitable, sustainable growth and enduring resilience” — principles that, he stressed, must be embedded at the heart of ASEAN’s agenda.
“Malaysia, as Chair this year, champions the theme of ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability.’ It is a strategic and value-driven proposition,” he added.
Confronting a Shifting Global Order
The Prime Minister did not shy away from addressing the escalating geopolitical and economic headwinds facing the region. He noted the erosion of multilateralism, the resurgence of protectionism, and the strain on the global trading system, pointing specifically to the unilateral tariffs imposed by the United States in recent weeks.
“The global trading system is under further strain… multilateralism is breaking apart at the seams,” Anwar said.
“But I strongly believe in the fortitude and staying power of ASEAN to weather the storms and forge our own future.”
In a show of collective resolve, Anwar lauded ASEAN’s swift formation of the ASEAN Geo-economics Task Force to coordinate responses to the tariffs — a step that he said demonstrates the bloc’s unity and confidence.
Quiet Progress on Myanmar
Touching on the Myanmar crisis, Anwar highlighted Malaysia’s role in forming the Informal Advisory Group, led by former Thai Prime Minister Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra, and supported by regional figures such as His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei and former Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen.
“The steps may be small and the bridge may be fragile,” Anwar remarked, “but quiet engagement has mattered… We have been able to move the needle forward.”
He emphasized that ASEAN must continue to engage constructively, even when political solutions remain elusive.
A Trilateral Future: ASEAN-GCC-China Summit
The Prime Minister hailed the upcoming first-ever ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, which will take place alongside the 46th Summit this week. He framed it as a new matrix of partnership, reflective of today’s multipolar world.
“This trilateral summit symbolises the power of cohesiveness of regional blocs… and would have a positive impact on the world at large,” he said.
Anwar called for the preservation of the multilateral system, urging ASEAN to shape a geo-economic model that is inclusive, strategic, and future-ready.
Summit Background and Attendees
The 46th ASEAN Summit is being held from May 26–27, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which holds the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN this year. Leaders from all 10 ASEAN Member States — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (non-political representation), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — are in attendance.
Among the high-profile attendees are:
- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, attending his first ASEAN Summit since taking office,
- Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, fresh from a decisive electoral mandate,
- Vietnamese President To Lam, and
- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The summit also welcomes participation from Timor-Leste in observer capacity as it continues its path toward full membership. The gathering is being held concurrently with the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, signifying a major expansion in ASEAN’s external partnerships.
With the gavel struck, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim officially declared the 46th ASEAN Summit open, setting the tone for a decisive round of discussions on trade, security, digital transformation, and regional peace. The summit outcomes are expected to define ASEAN’s trajectory as it navigates a shifting world order.
- TNS News