Malaysia's leadership under PM Anwar strengthens ASEAN cooperation

The Sun

27-05-2025

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's leadership under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been a unique strength in bringing ASEAN leaders together to discuss and address regional issues collaboratively.
ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Malaysia chair Tan Sri Nazir Razak said that amid a sea change of leaders across ASEAN, Anwar seems very well connected with all of them.
'He (Anwar) is like the one person who's very close to all (ASEAN country leaders), and we look to that unique ability to bring them together so that we can close on some key decisions, such as bringing down non-tariff barriers, greater empowerment to the ASEAN Secretariat and policy changes.
'It can be done, but you need leaders, and sometimes they need to spend that political capital to get things done,' he said in a press conference at the ASEAN Business Forum 2025 Curtain Raiser here today.
Nazir added that he is optimistic about ASEAN now, as the region currently has a new momentum.
He said the external environment has given it more of a push, hence the ASEAN chairmanship is expected to produce many positive outcomes.
According to a joint statement by the organisers, ASEAN Business Forum 2025, organised by CGS International Securities Malaysia Sdn Bhd in collaboration with MBSB Bhd and OCBC Group, will be held at the St Regis Hotel on May 29 in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit 2025 and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit 2025.
Co-hosted with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and ASEAN-BAC Malaysia, the forum is expected to draw more than 500 attendees, comprising over 200 foreign and local corporates, policymakers and corporate captains representing the region's largest companies of over RM1 trillion in market capitalisation.
'A key highlight of the forum is the corporate engagement and business exchange session designed to drive real business collaboration between pre-screened and pre-selected matching parties from the top 25 corporations and investors across ASEAN and China.
'It will also feature more than 20 speakers and panellists for discussions and closed-door meetings between investors and policy makers, all focused on addressing challenges and catalysing opportunities for high-value deals and strategic partnerships for regional economic growth,' it said.