Anwar urges Asean Plus Three to speed up creation of regional medical supplies reserve to boost preparedness for future health crises
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has called on Asean Plus Three (APT) nations to accelerate plans for a regional medical supplies reserve, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim urging the bloc to strengthen its defences before the next public health emergency strikes.
Addressing the 28th APT Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today, Anwar said the initiative — which brings together Asean member states with China, Japan and South Korea — was vital to bolstering the region’s preparedness and resilience.
“We should proceed to establish the proposed APT reserve on medical supplies for public health emergencies to prepare for future health crises.
“Born in the wake of the Asian Financial Crisis in 1996, the APT has prevailed through other crises and proven its effectiveness during the challenges of the Covid-19 era,” he said.
Anwar said the grouping must now evolve beyond past achievements and ensure that its next phase of growth is guided by fairness, inclusivity and shared prosperity.
“Our task is clear — to ensure that growth is fair, prosperity is widely shared, and progress brings peace.
We must prepare our youth and women for an East Asia that is sustainable, inclusive and interconnected.”
Representing Japan, Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu — the current coordinator for the Plus Three countries — reaffirmed Tokyo’s commitment to regional food and financial security through mechanisms such as the APT Emergency Rice Reserve and the Chiang Mai Initiative.
Meanwhile, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called on regional economies to uphold “openness and cooperation” in the face of rising protectionism, saying the “East Asian Miracle” remains a living story rather than a chapter of the past.
