Implications of Asean-GCC-China cooperation
AMID growing trade tensions and the rise in protectionist policies on the global landscape, the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit, hosted by Malaysia as Asean Chairman for 2025, has drawn significant international attention.
This gathering marks yet another step forward in Global South cooperation with implications for both regional development and global growth.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Malaysia's unemployment drops to 3.2% in 2024, labour market strongest since pandemic
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's labour market has achieved its strongest performance since the pandemic, with unemployment falling to 3.2 per cent in 2024, according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM). The latest data shows key improvements in employment, youth joblessness, and workforce participation, with stability expected to continue into 2025. The unemployment rate dipped below the pre-pandemic level of 3.3 per cent recorded in 2019, with the number of unemployed persons dropping to 534,100. Youth unemployment, a persistent concern, declined to 10.3 per cent, with 284,700 young jobseekers still without work. The labour force expanded by 3.3 per cent to 16.90 million, while the labour force participation rate (LFPR) hit a record high of 70.6 per cent. Employment also grew by 3.5 per cent to 16.37 million, reflecting stronger job creation. 'Accordingly, the employment-to-population ratio, which indicates the ability of an economy to create employment, also increased by 0.7 percentage points to 68.4 per cent from 67.7 per cent in 2023,' DOSM said. Sector-wise, services remained dominant at 65.6 per cent of total employment, followed by manufacturing (16.3 per cent) and agriculture (9.0 per cent). Underemployment improved, with fewer workers facing insufficient hours, dropping to 212,500 from 226,300 in 2023. Regionally, Putrajaya recorded the lowest unemployment rate (1.1 per cent) and highest LFPR (78.7 per cent). Female workforce participation exceeded the national average in five states, led by Putrajaya (79.4 per cent). Despite progress, 7.02 million Malaysians remain outside the labour force, primarily due to household responsibilities (43.1 per cent) or education (41.3 per cent). DOSM expects continued resilience in 2025, supported by economic growth and ASEAN-driven initiatives.
Malaysiakini
an hour ago
- Malaysiakini
Strengthening regional cooperation: Highlights of the 25th SOMTC Meeting and Its Related Meetings in Putrajaya
The 25th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) and Its Related Meetings were successfully convened over three days in Putrajaya, with a total of 200 delegates in attendance. This high-level meeting serves as a key platform for ASEAN Member States to align regional efforts in addressing transnational crimes, including contemporary security challenges such as human trafficking, money laundering and cybercrime. Day One (24 June 2025): Opening Ceremony and Malaysia's Strategic Recommendations The meeting was officiated by YB Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail, Minister of Home Affairs, with the first day's plenary session chaired by YBhg. Datuk Awang Alik bin Jeman, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) Malaysia. During this session, ASEAN Member States exchanged insights on best practices, contemporary challenges, and recent policy initiatives in addressing transnational crime. The Malaysian delegation highlighted several notable initiatives, including integrated enforcement at national entry points, monitoring of undocumented migrants, and enhanced collaboration with enforcement agencies. Malaysia also put forward a proposal to establish a SOMTC Working Group on Anti-Money Laundering, aimed at addressing illicit financial flows in the region, as well as the development of the ASEAN Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime (2026–2035). This proposal received strong support from Member States and is recommended to be tabled at the upcoming ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) in September 2025. The meeting also deliberated on issues concerning funding for security operations and technical cooperation with dialogue partners such as the United Kingdom, UNODC, and ASEAN-ACT. Presentations from these partners provided comprehensive insights into future cooperation on cybercrime, capacity building, and strategic mapping of regional security risks. The Retreat Session was also held on the first day, where the SOMTC Heads of Delegation exchanged views on expanding the scope of cybercrime and funding for regional cooperation. Day Two (25 June 2025): Consultations with ASEAN Dialogue Partners Four (4) SOMTC Consultation Sessions with ASEAN Dialogue Partners were held as follows: 13th SOMTC + Canada Consultation , co-chaired by Lao PDR 13th SOMTC + New Zealand Consultation , co-chaired by Viet Nam 12th SOMTC + India Consultation , co-chaired by Philippines 12th SOMTC + Russia Consultation, co-chaired by Myanmar Malaysia presented substantive interventions across several aspects of strategic cooperation, including: Capacity building through technical training and officer exchange programs Advancing the use of technology in digital crime detection Developing protocols for cross-border intelligence sharing These consultation sessions also offered opportunities to explore technology synergies and knowledge exchange, reflecting Malaysia's role in driving digital transformation in law enforcement. The second-day meeting concluded by midday, allowing delegates to engage and strengthen ties through participation in side programs and informal gatherings. Day Three (26 June 2025): Malaysia's Leadership in Multilateral Consultations Malaysia demonstrated its continued regional leadership with YBhg. Datuk Awang Alik bin Jeman serving as Co-Chair in two major consultation sessions: 22nd SOMTC + 3 Consultation , involving Japan, China, and South Korea, co-chaired with H.E. Minami Hiroyuki from Japan 22nd SOMTC + China Consultation, co-chaired with H.E. Jun Tan from the People's Republic of China Several other consultation sessions included: 21st SOMTC + Japan , co-chaired by Singapore 18th SOMTC + Republic of Korea , co-chaired by Thailand 19th SOMTC + Australia , co-chaired by Indonesia 13th SOMTC + European Union , co-chaired by Brunei Darussalam 17th SOMTC + United States, co-chaired by Cambodia Malaysia reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to strengthening practical cooperation, enhancing information exchange, and building the operational capacity of Member States in addressing rising complexity of transnational crime threats. Bilateral Meetings: Multi-Layered Diplomacy Throughout the three-days meeting, Malaysia held several bilateral meetings with its strategic partners, including Singapore, the United States, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Key discussions included: Harmonisation of international conventions on trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants Development of joint training pathways and regional digital information platforms Strengthening Regional Resilience in a New Era The 25th SOMTC Meeting served as a vital platform for strengthening regional security cooperation, in line with ASEAN's vision of a peaceful, resilient, and transnational crime-free region. Malaysia further consolidated its leadership role in policy coordination, strategic negotiations, and operational cooperation, emphasizing that ASEAN security is a collective responsibility that requires proactive measures and long-term strategic thinking—aligned with the theme of 'inclusivity and sustainability' under Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. This content is provided by Ministry of Home Affairs of Malaysia (MOHA) The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini. Interested in having your press releases, exclusive interviews, or branded content articles on Malaysiakini? For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected]
Malay Mail
2 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Senior Citizens Bill expected to be tabled next year, says women's minister
KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The government has completed the draft for the Senior Citizens Bill, which aims to protect the rights and well-being of the elderly, and is expected to be tabled in Parliament next year. Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said her ministry plans to submit the draft to the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) by the end of this year. At the moment, she said, the ministry is engaging in further consultations with industry players and state governments, including those in Sabah and Sarawak. 'What we are doing now is that we need to go back to the industry players, the stakeholders, to talk to them again. And we also have to refer to every state. 'So this is an ongoing thing, because the bill is not just going to be for us over in the peninsula. It's also for various states, especially those in the Borneo side,' she told a press conference after officiating the ASEAN + Republic of Korea Conference on Care and Support for Older Persons, here today. Also present was Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad and Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN, Lee Jang Keun. Nancy further added that the increasing interest in the caregiving industry has contributed to the need for wider consultations. 'We want to expedite this. It's just that there are quite a number of people who are coming in with a lot of things, and this industry is booming. A lot of people are interested in it and they want to be a part of the lawmaking process through the consultation,' she added. — Bernama
