Anwar says expecting record turnout for Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur
He said several heads of government from outside Asean have confirmed their attendance at the summit, which will be held from Oct 26 to 28.
Among those confirmed are Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whom Anwar met in Rome on July 3, and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Anwar also said that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who currently holds the G20 presidency, has also expressed his intention to attend.
Anwar, who is in Rio de Janeiro for the 17th Brics Leaders' Summit, said newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has likewise confirmed his participation.
'This reflects how the October Asean Summit will likely be more vibrant than any previously held, not only involving Asean and regular partners such as Japan, South Korea, and China, but also many others.
'I believe it will be a major undertaking... God willing, we will be able to shoulder it together,' Anwar said during a press conference at the conclusion of his official visits to Italy, France and Brazil, which began on July 1.
Currently, Asean's 10 member states are Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Philippines.
Besides the 10 Asean countries, partners that usually attend its summits include Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.
Speaking at the Brics Business Forum opening here on July 5, Lula da Silva officially confirmed his attendance at the 47th Asean Summit.
He also urged Brazilian entrepreneurs to prepare for the summit, highlighting its significance as a key business platform.
The 46th Asean Summit held in Kuala Lumpur last May also featured the second Asean-GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Summit and the inaugural Asean-GCC-China Summit. — Bernama
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Malaysia Sun
6 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
MALAYSIA-KUALA LUMPUR-ASEAN-FM-MEETING
(250709) -- KUALA LUMPUR, July 9, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim addresses the 58th Foreign Ministers' Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 9, 2025. TO GO WITH "Malaysian PM urges ASEAN unity to face weaponization of trade" (Xinhua/Cheng Yiheng)
Free Malaysia Today
8 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Give Anwar space to perform his constitutional duty
From Ibrahim M Ahmad The recent controversy surrounding delays in the appointment of a new chief justice and Court of Appeal president has landed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in some difficulty, with many accusing him of interfering with the affairs of the judiciary. Former chief justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat retired on July 1, while ex-Court of Appeal president Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim followed suit one day later. Both retirements were mandated by law, subject only to a maximum six-month extension at the discretion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, which was not exercised in their favour. Fingers pointed immediately at Anwar, accusing him of flushing out the judiciary for political gain. Last week, Chief Judge of Malaya Hasnah Hashim was appointed acting chief justice, and apex court judge Zabariah Yusof to the number two post. Both judges had their tenure extended earlier this year and are only stop-gap appointments. Hasnah is set to retire on Nov 15 this year, and Zabariah even earlier, on Oct 10. Meanwhile, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abdul Rahman Sebli retires on July 24, having already had his tenure extended. Two other senior Federal Court judges will also have to step down soon. Nallini Pathmanathan will turn 66 on Aug 22 this year, and will vacate her office unless her tenure is extended, while Hanipah Farikullah, whose tenure was extended earlier this year, will leave the bench on Nov 22. Of those who remain, Abu Bakar Jais turns 66 on June 27 next year, Lee Swee Seng (Nov 26, 2026), Rhodzariah Bujang (Nov 5, 2027), Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera (Jan 3, 2028), Nordin Hassan (July 13, 2028), and Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh (April 12, 2034). Given Tengku Maimun and Abang Iskandar's retirement and the impending loss of five judges, it would appear that the prime minister has a lot to answer for. Having said that, no one has expressed any disapproval of Hasnah's assumption of the top post, which occurred by operation of law, or her appointment of Zabariah as Court of Appeal president. Neither has Anwar interfered to block either of them from taking office. According to reports, Hasnah has acted swiftly, calling for an immediate meeting of the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) last Friday. Even that appeared to raise the ire of some, claiming it violated the notice of meeting provision in Section 13 of the JAC Act 2009, again with insinuations that the prime minister was behind it. The outcome of that meeting has not been disclosed but obviously it would have involved the need to fill vacancies in all three superior courts. Between Jan 1 last year and now, the king has appointed four judges to the Federal Court, 10 to the Court of Appeal, 19 to the High Court, and five judicial commissioners, according to JAC records. As prescribed under Article 122B(1), all appointments were made on the advice of the prime minister. There were no complaints at the time that the JAC was idle. Clearly, it performed its statutory duty of vetting the candidates and recommending their appointment. Neither did anyone accuse the prime minister of impropriety or interference. Once again, the commission will have a lot to do this time round. After all, promotions to the apex court will result in vacancies in the Court of Appeal, which will have to be filled through promotions from the High Court, resulting in even more vacancies at the bottom tier. The primary gripe of many appears to be that Anwar had apparently dismissed recommendations made by the JAC for appointments to the judiciary's top posts during Tengku Maimun's tenure. Conspiracy theorists are also insinuating that Hasnah called for the meeting last week to 'revise' lists approved by the JAC under its previous chairmanship, purportedly on the instructions of the prime minister. Those who know Hasnah will attest she is incapable of that. But my question is more basic: Should Anwar even take the JAC's recommendations for the judiciary's top two positions? Article 122B(1) of the constitution states that all appointments to the top four positions in the judiciary and as judges of the superior courts are made by the king on the advice of the prime minister, and after consulting the Conference of Rulers. Article 122B(2) states: 'Before tendering his advice as to the appointment under clause (1) of a judge other than the chief justice of the Federal Court, the prime minister shall consult the chief justice.' In other words, the prime minister is not obliged to consult a sitting chief justice when considering who to appoint as successor. If that is the case, why should he be obliged to take recommendations from a commission chaired by the chief justice? Even if the sitting chief justice were to stand down, is it proper for the next in line, i.e. the Court of Appeal president or any other judge on the JAC, to helm the commission for the purpose of recommending the next chief justice? After all, they are all likely candidates for the office themselves. Those who remember the 1988 tribunal convened to investigate then lord president Salleh Abas will recall that this was precisely the cry of all and sundry when it was chaired by Hamid Omar, his eventual successor. Ultimately, although not established under the constitution, the JAC can recommend candidates to fill vacancies on the bench, but should not be recommending successors to the top four positions. Such appointments are the prerogative of the king, acting on the advice of the prime minister, who has the people's mandate. And, as controversial as it may sound, the people's mandate is just as important in the appointment of judges. There is no greater example now than in the US, where three Donald Trump appointees have turned a liberal Supreme Court into one that leans heavily in favour of his Make America Great Again agenda. For instance, one of the election promises Trump made during his first term was to overturn Roe v Wade (1973), a landmark ruling establishing a woman's right to abortion. His bench duly delivered on that promise in 2022, when he was out of office! Trump has also chosen to appoint younger judges, in the expectation that they will dominate the bench for years to come. But back to Anwar. Article 122B(2) says the prime minister must consult the chief justice in the appointment of the Court of Appeal president. Given that the Court of Appeal president retired one day after the chief justice, that consultation would have been futile. Yes, the prime minister could have acted earlier. Nobody knows his reasons for not doing so. However, the fact that so many judges were set to leave the judiciary within a short space of time was not down to him. The situation was not engineered by him, it was simply unavoidable. Calls for a royal commission of inquiry are premature, unfair and based entirely on conjecture. Opposition politicians are clearly pushing a political agenda in their attacks. The prime minister must be given a free hand, and space, to identify the right candidate to lead the judiciary on a permanent basis. That is his constitutional duty. But he must also get the right candidates for the top two posts before they are vacated. With Hasnah at the helm, the public should withhold its judgement at least until November, when she steps down. Ibrahim M Ahmad is an FMT reader. The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
Malaysia Sun
8 hours ago
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Malaysian PM urges ASEAN unity to face weaponization of trade
KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Weaponization of international trade must be met with unity among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) grouping in order to weather disruptions and maintain a principled stand on free and open trade, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said here on Wednesday. In his opening address at the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Anwar also urged greater intra-regional trade and cooperation as a long-term strategy to counter the disruptive impact of tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration. "Across the world, tools once used to generate growth are now wielded to pressure, isolate and contain. Tariffs, export restrictions, and investment barriers have now become the sharpened instruments of geopolitical rivalry. This is no passing storm. It is the new weather of our time," he said. "As we navigate external pressures, we need to fortify our internal foundations. Trade more among ourselves, invest more in one another, and advance integration across sectors with resolve. To build a stronger, more connected ASEAN economy is a strategic imperative that will anchor our relevance and resilience for decades to come," he added. Anwar stressed that the grouping must not lose sight of implementing policies that will benefit the citizens of the grouping, particularly in connectivity, food security, digital transformation, education, public health, and climate resilience, all of which will strengthen the bloc while improving lives. Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said in his opening remarks at the plenary session that ASEAN must work toward greater integration and coordination to combat challenges posed by climate change and other disruptive developments. "A most urgent imperative is the need for us to address the existential hazards of climate change. We have witnessed, first-hand, the effects of rising temperatures, natural disasters, and extreme weather events in our region and its peoples," he said. "Geopolitical fault lines have continued to fissure, strategic trust has thinned, and flashpoints have sharpened ... we must continue to invest and place our faith in regionalism and multilateralism. We must continue to champion the principles of justice, fairness, equality, and humanity," he added. Malaysia was hosting the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and related meetings from July 8 to July 11, under its 2025 ASEAN chairmanship theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability." A total of 24 foreign minister-level meetings will be held, including bilateral discussions with ASEAN's external dialogue partners, namely Australia, Canada, China, the European Union (EU), India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea, Britain, and the United States. In addition, four trilateral meetings will be scheduled, involving Malaysia, the ASEAN Secretariat, and sectoral dialogue partners including Brazil, Norway, Switzerland and Trkiye.
