Commentary by Datuk Jojie Samuel, an Advisor at the ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A career diplomat, Samuel’s last post was as Malaysia’s Ambassador to Thailand from 2018 to 2024.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 (Bernama) -- As Malaysia steps into the ASEAN Chairmanship role this year, it does so at a critical juncture.
A decade after the formal establishment of the ASEAN Community in Kuala Lumpur, the bloc finds itself standing at a strange crossroads: proud of how far it has come, but increasingly uneasy about the road ahead.
Global headwinds like geopolitical rivalries, economic fragmentation, and climate insecurity are growing stronger. Assumptions that once seemed sturdy have begun to wobble.
These developments push ASEAN to be bold and write its own future.
Under this year’s theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has set a tone that is both forward-looking and grounded in principle.
More than just reflecting regional aspirations, the theme mirrors the core values of Malaysia MADANI, the national governance framework that is focused on sustainability, innovation, compassion, respect, trust, and shared prosperity.
Looking Beyond the Usual Horizons
The first big test comes this May, when leaders gather in Kuala Lumpur to adopt the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
On paper, it is another strategic roadmap, another summit deliverable. In reality, it is something of a rare opportunity: a chance to ask what kind of community ASEAN truly wants to be and whether it can find the collective courage to get there.
Malaysia’s approach rests on three priorities: restoring unity and trust within ASEAN, unlocking the region’s internal economic potential, and making sustainability and inclusion core to everything the bloc does.
This framework is ambitious.
But ambition may be exactly what this moment demands. Each priority frames a distinct challenge and together, they offer a possible blueprint for ASEAN's next chapter.
Restoring Unity and Trust Within ASEAN
The first task is holding the centre.
This is not easy when the Indo-Pacific feels increasingly like a chessboard, and ASEAN risks becoming one of the pieces.
Malaysia’s emphasis on “strategic trust” goes beyond diplomatic language—it reflects a strong belief in ASEAN’s unique strength to remain united, act as a mediator, and bring others together.
By fostering trust, ASEAN can stay resilient and cohesive, even amid growing external pressures.
The region does not need to pick sides, but needs to hold its ground, and that will require a kind of political craftsmanship.
Unlocking ASEAN’s Internal Economic Potential
Beyond politics, Malaysia is also pushing ASEAN to not only look outward but also within its own member countries when it comes to its economic future.
For decades, the region’s success story has been tied to global trade.
But as protectionism rises and supply chains grow more brittle, ASEAN’s overreliance on external markets looks less like a strength and more like a vulnerability.
Malaysia is betting that deeper intra-ASEAN trade, better connectivity, and stronger support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) could unlock growth from within and make the region more resilient against external shocks.
It is not a rejection of globalisation but a recalibration.
Making Sustainability and Inclusion Core to ASEAN’s Work
Where Malaysia’s Chairmanship may prove most transformative is in what it chooses to treat as non-negotiable.
Inclusivity and sustainability have long appeared in ASEAN statements and communiqués, tucked politely toward the end, after trade figures and investment pledges.
Malaysia wants to move them to the front.
That means treating climate resilience, social protection, and narrowing development gaps not as side issues, but as fundamental pillars of regional security and prosperity.
In a region where floods, earthquakes, and growing inequality are no longer distant risks but daily realities, the stakes are clear.
Survival is not just about borders and markets anymore. It is about whether the region can create systems that leave no one behind.
The Coming Economic Storm
Of course, Malaysia’s Chairmanship does not unfold in isolation. It comes at a moment when fresh tremors are rattling the global economy.
The current United States (US) administration under President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on electronics, automotive parts, and other key ASEAN exports, which have raised new concerns over trade stability.
For ASEAN, the implications are serious.
Many economies in the region are heavily export-reliant, and disruptions in global supply chains can hit hard.
Malaysia is expected to lead the call for a coordinated ASEAN response, including boosting intra-ASEAN trade, reinforcing regional supply chains in key sectors, and accelerating partnerships with new and existing economic blocs, such as the EU, RCEP and the Global South. It also plans to continue engaging the US through ASEAN-led mechanisms to advocate for fair trade.
ASEAN must act early and together to navigate this uncertain landscape.
More Than a Chairmanship
ASEAN’s next chapter will depend not just on strategy, but on values.
The ASEAN Community Vision 2045 must be more than a roadmap—it must reflect the collective will of a region that believes in dignity, fairness, and cooperation.
Malaysia’s role as Chair this year presents a rare opportunity to put these values into practice.
Malaysia has stepped forward with an ambitious hand. Now it is up to the rest of ASEAN to decide whether they are ready to take up the pen and finish the story together.
-- BERNAMA
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of BERNAMA)
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