Malaysia S Diplomacy Helped Asean Punch Above Its Weight Say Experts

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They credit Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Wisma Putra for steering Asean through a turbulent yet successful year.
Malaysia concluded its Asean chairmanship at the 47th Asean Summit in early November, officially passing the baton to the Philippines.PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s diplomatic approach during its Asean chairmanship has strengthened the bloc’s standing among global partners, with experts crediting both Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s high-level engagement and Wisma Putra’s steady execution during an unusually demanding year
Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Asean had a turbulent but effective year.
He said that when Malaysia assumed the Asean chairmanship, Anwar made it clear he wanted to raise Asean’s profile and underscore its centrality.
“Outsiders now look more favourably upon Asean, due significantly to Malaysia using its diplomatic savvy, resources and experience,” he told FMT.
Throughout its chairmanship, Malaysia coordinated more than 300 meetings, facilitated the brokering of an initial ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, while also managing renewed attention from major powers such as the US, China and others.
At the same time, Asean welcomed US president Donald Trump, who made his first appearance at the summit in eight years, as well as some BRICS leaders.
While Anwar led the bloc’s high-level engagements, much of the groundwork was carried out by foreign minister Mohamad Hasan and the diplomatic corps at Wisma Putra.
According to Phar Kim Beng of the International Islamic University Malaysia, the workload highlighted Malaysia’s ability to coordinate, communicate and lead with consistency.
“When it comes to a year-long series of summitries and senior officials’ meetings, amounting to 330 of them, the foreign ministry ought to be applauded for their event management depth and skills,” he said.
“By such tokens, Mohamad has passed the test with flying colours. There were no untoward diplomatic incidents.”
Looking ahead, Azmi said Malaysia should leverage its success to advise the Philippines, which will assume the next Asean chairmanship.
“On Myanmar, there’s been significant progress under Malaysia’s chairmanship, and rightly so, Manila said it will follow the footsteps of Malaysia on the matter,” he said.
Phar said the growing global attention on Asean and Malaysia offers further opportunities.
“Malaysia increased its branding as a safe and tolerant trading power bar none, and with the onset of Visit Malaysia 2026, more tourists will make a beeline to Malaysia,” he said.
However, he said attracting leaders and tourists must translate into tangible outcomes.
“This is what allows our national interests to acquire a more material and tangible protection,” he said. - FMT

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