PM Anwar calls for unity, courage and dialogue as Asean faces global uncertainty at the 47th Asean Summit.
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today opened the 47th Asean Summit with a strong call for unity, adaptability and conviction as the region faces a rapidly changing global order.
Anwar said Malaysia recognised the “magnitude of responsibility” in chairing Asean this year.
“Leadership is never a matter of routine — it is a matter of choice,” he said.
“To define priorities, to renew Asean’s sense of purpose, and to chart a course worthy of our people’s hopes.”
He described 2025 as a pivotal year, as the world stands at a crossroads of uncertainty.
“The old order is no longer certain, and the new one not yet defined. Across regions, we see rising contestation and growing uncertainty,” he said.
“These crosswinds test not only our economies, but our collective resolve to keep faith in cooperation.
“We believe that understanding and dialogue can still prevail in a divided age.”
Anwar said Asean’s strength lies not in uniformity but in shared conviction — in “respect and reason that still bind us together.”
Referring to the peace agreement that will be signed later today between Cambodia and Thailand, he said the move demonstrates that “reconciliation is not a concession but an act of courage — and that peace, once chosen, can shape the future of nations.”
He thanked both countries’ leaders for their leadership and commitment to peace, adding that such efforts embody the spirit of the Asean Community Vision 2045, which calls on member states to strengthen unity and centrality, pursue equitable growth, and safeguard the welfare of future generations.
Anwar reminded leaders that the peace and prosperity enjoyed by Asean for nearly six decades “are not self-sustaining” and must be continually renewed through cooperation and shared purpose.
He said Asean is committed to deepening economic engagement, widening trade and enhancing competitiveness to maintain regional resilience.
“Rising protectionism and shifting supply chains remind us that resilience depends on adaptability.
“Asean must not stand still — it must have the courage to forge new partnerships and the foresight to deepen existing ones,” he said.
Anwar noted Malaysia’s role in hosting the second Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Asean-GCC China summits earlier this year, as part of efforts to strengthen the region’s external relations.
He said the fifth RCEP Leaders’ Summit, scheduled for tomorrow, will further advance Asean’s integration and expand trade opportunities.
“We also welcome again Brazil and South Africa, guests of the Chair, to the 20th East Asia Summit — an important step in widening Asean’s engagement with the BRICS and the G20, and in strengthening our outreach to the greater Global South,” Anwar added.
Closing his remarks, Anwar reminded leaders that Asean’s destiny lies not in circumstance but in deliberate action.
“The future of Asean will not be written by circumstance — it will be written by choice, by the choices we make today,” he said.
Anwar then officially declared open the 47th Asean Summit and its related meetings.
