Malaysia to present ‘wishlist' to Myanmar junta in push for Asean-led resolution
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said that Malaysia, as Asean Chair, planned to visit Myanmar to formally present a 'wishlist' gathered from various stakeholders to the State Administration Council (SAC).
'As Chair of Asean, we plan to visit and talk to Myanmar because we have already met with people and different stakeholders.
'We know what the wishlist is, now we want to present to the SAC the wishlist of the stakeholders so later we will look at the feedback or response from the SAC,' he told the media here today.
Earlier, Mohamad chaired the first Informal Consultative Meeting involving the previous Asean Chair, Laos; the current Chair, Malaysia; and the incoming Chair, the Philippines. The meeting will later be expanded to include all Asean Foreign Ministers, except Myanmar.
Mohamad said the meeting also heard a report presented by the Special Envoy of the Asean Chair on Myanmar, Tan Sri Othman Hashim, regarding the latest developments in the country.
He said Asean remained committed to ensuring Myanmar adhered to the Five-Point Consensus (5PC) agreed upon by all Asean leaders in 2021.
'This 5PC is simple – cease all violence, initiate inclusive dialogue, allow humanitarian assistance to be delivered without hindrance, appoint an Asean Special Envoy, and allow the Special Envoy to meet all parties.
'However, the implementation of this consensus has faced difficulties due to a trust deficit and ethnic conflicts that have persisted for decades in Myanmar,' he said.
Mohamad added that the crisis in Myanmar was not merely an internal matter, but had also affected the stability of the Asean region, including issues related to refugees and cross-border crimes.
'Asean does not wish to interfere in Myanmar's internal affairs, but as a large family, we have a responsibility to help. Myanmar's problem has now become our collective issue,' he said.
Responding to a question on whether Asean would allow Myanmar to rejoin the bloc's political discussions, Mohamad said the country was not banned from full participation, but was currently only invited to attend non-political meetings.
As the chair and host of Asean 2025, Malaysia will host the 46th Asean Summit and Related Summits at the KLCC from May 26 to 27.
In conjunction with the summit, two key high-level meetings - the 2nd Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the Asean-GCC-China Summit will also take place, marking an important platform for expanded regional and inter-regional cooperation.
Malaysia previously chaired Asean in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
23 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Govt seeks to secure Pulau Ligitan with RM300mil security outpost
Federal and state officials say they want security at Pulau Ligitan fortified in view of the looming external cross-border criminal threats, including terrorism. (X pic) KOTA KINABALU : Malaysia is looking to secure the sovereignty of Pulau Ligitan, a small island and popular diving haven off the Tawau coast, according to top federal and state government officials. Sources from the home and defence ministries, along with the maritime industry, revealed that a two-year study had recommended the establishment of a permanent security control outpost within 1km of Pulau Ligitan, located some 50km away from Tawau. The officials said that the plan was to fortify security at Pulau Ligitan in view of the looming external cross-border criminal threats, including terrorism, given its close proximity to both the Philippines and Indonesia. The state and federal governments are believed to be considering a budget of up to RM300 million to develop a comprehensive outpost, including living quarters for up to 60 personnel on a 24-hour rotation. The project, slated to be carried out by a private contractor, is understood to be awaiting government approval and budgetary allocation. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that the environment department is presently conducting an environmental impact assessment, while the Royal Malaysian Navy has been tasked with hydrographic mapping around Pulau Ligitan, where currently only a lighthouse stands. 'We see this as an effort to firmly secure our maritime sovereign assets in view of the growing maritime territorial disputes in the Celebes and Sulu Seas, involving Indonesia and the Philippines. 'Without effectively securing Ligitan, we cannot open the island, smaller than a football field at low-tide, for tourists and develop resorts around it, similar to what has been done at Sipadan about 28km away from it,' the source told FMT. The government, the source added, had 'learnt its lessons' from territorial disputes involving Pulau Batu Puteh with Singapore, Limbang with Brunei and the Ambalat oil and gas sea-block in the Celebes Sea with Indonesia. Following the Abu Sayyaf group's abduction of 21 tourists in Sipadan on April 23, 2000, and the Lahad Datu intrusion by 235 Sulu militants on February 11, 2013, the National Security Council assumed control of Sipadan and Ligitan. The islands were later handed over to Sabah's Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Environment on July 6, 2019. The officials said the proposed outpost on Pulau Ligitan would be modelled after Station Lima, the forward operating facility established in 1983 on Pulau Layang-Layang (Swallow Reef) in the South China Sea. 'Ligitan's outpost is expected to include a power-generator set, reverse-osmosis system to convert salty sea-water into drinking-water, a watch-tower, firearms armoury, kitchen, dining hall, meeting room, launderette, sewage management system, fuel storage and machinery control room, jetty, wave-breaker barrier, helicopter pad and fast-interceptor and marine-park boats,' the source said.
Daily Express
33 minutes ago
- Daily Express
Consul General calls on Liew
Consul General calls on Liew Kota Kinabalu: Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Kota Kinabalu, Zhu Xinglong paid a courtesy call on Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Datuk Seri Christina Liew on Monday. Consul General Zhu said under the strategic guidance of the leaders of China and Malaysia, bilateral relations have reached a historic high, and the prospects for cooperation between the two countries are broad. Advertisement 'China is Sabah's largest source of international tourists,' he said. The Consul General expressed willingness to work closely with the Minister to implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' leaders, and to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between China and Sabah in areas such as governance, civilisational dialogue, cultural industries, tourism, and poverty alleviation, in a joint effort to build a high-level strategic China-Malaysia community with a shared future. SPONSORED CONTENT Minister Liew warmly welcomed Consul General Zhu's assumption of office in Sabah and noted that China's rapid development in recent years is remarkable. Advertisement She expressed her readiness to maintain close communication and coordination with the Consul General, learn from China's governance experience, and expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges between Sabah and China. 'Let us work together to usher in the next 'Golden 50 Years' of China-Malaysia relations,' Liew added. Advertisement Also present were Deputy Consul General Xue Xiaoning and other officials, and Sabah Tourism Board Deputy Chief Executive Officer Tay Shu Lan.
The Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Sun
India seeks stronger semiconductor and digital economy ties with Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR: India is keen to deepen its already robust business linkages with Malaysia in the fast-growing semiconductor industry and digital economy. India's High Commissioner to Malaysia, B N Reddy, said Malaysia has long been recognised as a leader in the semiconductor sector. Besides this, Malaysia had expressed keen interest in partnering with India in the semiconductor sector. 'We welcome more Malaysian companies to collaborate with Indian firms through joint ventures,' he told Bernama after appearing on Bernama TV's The Nation programme on 'Malaysia-India Relations: Then, Now, Next'. Reddy said the potential for bilateral partnership was promising, given India's increasing focus on semiconductors through its India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), which aims to develop a domestic chip and display manufacturing ecosystem. The mission targets chip production in the 28-nanometre to 90-nanometre range. 'It will be a significant development, as over 60 per cent of the industry falls within this range under the ISM. We aim to triple our semiconductor market size to US$109 billion by 2030, up from US$38 billion in 2023,' he said. Currently, India has approved six major semiconductor manufacturing facilities under the initiative. Reddy also said trade between India and Malaysia had continued to strengthen despite global economic headwinds and geopolitical uncertainties, reaching about US$20 billion (US$1 = RM4.19) in 2024. In June 2024, India exported US$765 million to Malaysia and imported US$1.23 billion. India's exports to Malaysia surged by 93.9 per cent compared to the same month last year, while imports grew by 14.5 per cent. He said the ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), which began in 2023 and is expected to conclude by year-end, is set to further enhance regional trade and investment, particularly in the digital economy. 'One of the key objectives is to make trade more effective, user-friendly and simpler for businesses,' he said, adding that recent talks in Kuala Lumpur between an Indian delegation and Malaysia, in its role as ASEAN coordinator, marked significant progress. India has been a full dialogue partner of ASEAN since December 1995, with the partnership elevated to summit level in 2002. He also acknowledged several challenges to two-way trade, including persistent asymmetries in market access and issues surrounding rules of origin, which need to be addressed through the AITIGA review. 'We need to find solutions and align the agreement with evolving global trading practices,' he said. Reddy also highlighted the potential for cooperation in digital payments, expressing hope that India's unified payments interface could soon be accepted in Malaysia and that both countries would develop interoperable QR code networks to enable seamless cross-border transactions. 'This would greatly benefit users from both nations, including tourists, and improve digital connectivity between our economies,' he said. As India deepens its engagement with ASEAN, its expanding trade and technology ties with Malaysia are expected to play a key role in shaping regional economic integration, Reddy said.
