PUTRAJAYA: The outstanding efficiency, unwavering dedication, and seamless teamwork demonstrated by all parties involved were the main factors in Malaysia’s success as the host of the 46th ASEAN Summit recently, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said everything went smoothly as a result of the extraordinary commitment from the government machinery, including the people who understood Malaysia’s needs in organising the summit.
“I saw at all levels, our children, civil servants, all of them were great. From the airport, the parade, the police, immigration, MAHB (Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd), the management at the hotel, the Foreign Ministry, which coordinated, to the Prime Minister’s Department, which managed the protocol.
“I am also clueless about protocol, but I respect what the officers instructed the prime minister to do. I did as told (protocol), why? Because we are a country that has rules and works as a team,“ he said in his address at the Prime Minister’s Department monthly assembly here today.
It was attended by both Deputy Prime Ministers, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
The 46th ASEAN Summit concluded on May 27 after a series of high-level meetings aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and strategic partnerships.
During the two-day summit, ASEAN leaders participated in several important meetings, including the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit, the first ASEAN-GCC-China Summit, and the 16th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand (IMT-GT) Growth Triangle Summit.
Anwar also touched on cooperation between ASEAN leaders in making collective decisions without compromising the interests of their respective countries.
“… then we have to decide on an understanding in dealing with President Trump’s (US President Donald Trump’s) tariffs. Each country has its own strategy, which will involve bilateral relations. But we also want to protect the interests of the more than 650 million population of ASEAN countries.
“… there is not a decision by Malaysia that is detrimental to another country, or by Vietnam (for example) that is detrimental to another country. We work as a team,” he said.
Malaysia, as the ASEAN Chairmanship 2025 with the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, hosted the 46th ASEAN Summit, marking the fifth time the country has held the chairmanship after 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.
Meanwhile, Anwar, through a post on Facebook, said that Malaysia had successfully organised one of the most substantive conferences in ASEAN history, not only in terms of the depth of discussions, but also through the issuance of strong and meaningful joint statements.
“The Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045 was also signed, symbolising Malaysia’s ability to plan a 20-year strategic plan for the region post-2025.
“We have also recorded great progress in the digital economy, green investment, social inclusion and more structured regional cooperation with the GCC and China. ASEAN now appears more united, people-centred and ready to move forward with renewed determination,” he said.
