KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is confident that ASEAN will deliver tangible outcomes in the next ASEAN Summit slated to be held in October.
He said his confidence was based on unprecedented progress in discussions and a renewed sense of commitment shown among member states during the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, which concluded today.
According to Anwar, most of the work usually reserved for the next summit had already been undertaken, allowing the region to move forward with greater clarity and purpose.
“This is quite unprecedented. Things that normally would be deliberated or discussed in October have been done now, and we are moving forward.
“That, I think, is a major change,” he told a press conference on the summit, here at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Also present were Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
Commenting further, Anwar said consensus among ASEAN leaders has significantly supported ongoing efforts to resolve the Myanmar crisis, which he described as major progress with both sides now engaged in lower-level consultations aimed at prolonging a ceasefire and facilitating humanitarian assistance.
“The development marks a shift from previous deadlocks, with ASEAN seeing greater willingness from stakeholders in Myanmar to engage in constructive dialogue within the framework of the Five-Point Consensus.
“Even on the issue of Myanmar, the consensus to continue engagement has led to consultations at a lower-key level, focusing on a prolonged ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and early discussions all within the parameters of the Five-Point Consensus,” he said.
Anwar also noted that Timor-Leste is expected to be accepted as a full ASEAN member by October.
“Timor-Leste, for example, has been protracted so many negotiations with terms of no real consensus, but this time around, we finally reached a consensus,” he said.
Anwar also highlighted discussions on tariffs and trade, noting that while bilateral negotiations were ongoing with Zafrul was recently in the United States, ASEAN leaders agreed that decisions must not come at the expense of any member state.
“So, we will have to protect the turf of 650 or 660 million people. So, I think, to me, it is a major progress. Now, from there, of course, the ministers, various ministries and officials will have to work on what can then be affected in terms of real implementation of programmes by October,” he said.
Reflecting on ASEAN’s current (cohesiveness and inclusivity) momentum, Anwar remarked that the unity and determination shown in recent years were unlike anything he had witnessed before.
“Now, you see the spirit of the ASEAN consensus and determination to be able to participate. I have never seen such a plain, strong commitment before.
“There is no choice. We must take whatever is necessary, Free Trade Agreement (FTA) of course, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks with European Union, intra-ASEAN trade, everybody admits more needs to be done more concretely. So by October, we want to see results,” he said.
