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Daily Express
11-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
How Asean has kept the peace for over 50 years
Published on: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 11, 2025 By: Danish Raja Reza, FMT Text Size: Formed in 1967 amid Cold War tensions and regional unrest, Asean was a bold bet on diplomacy. (Bernama pic) Kuala Lumpur: Southeast Asia is considered one of the world's most peaceful regions today, but that stability didn't happen by chance. Without Asean's quiet diplomacy, the region's economic growth, cross-border mobility and cohesion might never have materialised. Advertisement But now, as geopolitical tensions mount, the bloc's role in ensuring continued peace among its 10 members is more critical than ever. Born from conflict Asean was formed in 1967 during the height of the Cold War, when Southeast Asia was a hotbed for ideological confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union. The region was scarred by conflict: Vietnam was at war, Cambodia faced the Khmer Rouge, and Malaysia had just emerged from the Malayan Emergency. Even among its five founding members, relations were not always smooth. Indonesia and Malaysia clashed during the confrontation in the early 1960s, while Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1965. It was against this backdrop that Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand signed the Bangkok Declaration to commit to dialogue and cooperation, later reinforced by the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (Zopfan) manifesto in 1971 and the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in 1976. '(Asean's) importance isn't always obvious, because our governments cooperate well and conduct savvy diplomacy to manage crises and maintain peace and order,' former Asean secretary-general and Singapore ambassador-at-large Ong Keng Yong told FMT. 'Asean cooperation and diplomacy work behind the scenes to advance economic development, political and security stability, and socio-cultural progress,' he pointed out. From poverty to progress Once made up of largely low-income countries, Asean has since become the world's fifth-largest economy with a combined GDP of nearly US$4 trillion, as of 2024. This growth was spurred by regional integration efforts, such as the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta), as well as mobility and connectivity initiatives. Malaysia's 2015 chairmanship marked a milestone with the launch of the Asean Community Vision 2025, a long-term plan to deepen integration across political, economic and social spheres. The Asean Political-Security Community (APSC), launched in 2009, supports cooperation on counter-terrorism efforts, maritime security and cyber threats while upholding Asean's principles of non-alignment and consensus. While Asean is sometimes dismissed as a 'talk shop', Ong said this process is what enables Asean to manage tensions both within and beyond the bloc. 'Asean summits and ministerial meetings, supported by numerous official negotiations, work to sort out differences and explore possibilities for agreement across a wide spectrum of views,' he added. Asean in everyday life Asean's impact also reaches citizens. The 2006 Asean Framework Agreement on Visa Exemption, fully ratified by Singapore in 2018, facilitates visa-free travel between member states. This has spurred tourism, mobility, and cultural exchanges. At the 46th Asean Summit in May, youth delegates highlighted the bloc's growing relevance. 'Because we're so regionally integrated, and we've done so many exchange programmes, awareness of Asean and our values has become a lot more prominent among today's youth,' said Austin Patrick, a delegate from Myanmar. 'We can create shared funds to invest in our startup ecosystem, and by doing so, promote accessibility, not just in the payment space, but also in education and healthcare,' he said. Meanwhile, Michelle Ann Villanueva from the Philippines said Asean has also helped foster social cohesion. 'We love and embrace our diversity,' she said. 'As long as we do it with dignity, honour and values, I think we're doing something great for our community.' Looking ahead: Vision 2045 As major powers compete for influence in Asia, Asean's founding principles — neutrality, dialogue, and cooperation — remain more relevant than ever. These ideals form the backbone of the Asean Community Vision 2045, a strategic plan to guide the region through its next phase of development amid growing uncertainties. Dusit Manapan, an advisor to Thailand's foreign affairs ministry, encourages member states to remain hopeful and united as they navigate this uncertain future. 'We don't have an alternative. We have to stick together and look toward a brighter future,' he said, adding that Asean member states must build on their shared strengths. For the next generation, Asean offers a shared platform to confront challenges such as climate change, inequality and sustainable development — issues that no nation can solve alone. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Free Malaysia Today
24-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Asean key to Southeast Asia's peace, stability, says former sec-gen
Singapore's ambassador-at-large Ong Keng Yong says Asean's sustained diplomacy has helped keep Southeast Asia stable, and hence, economically appealing. PETALING JAYA : Asean has played a key role in Southeast Asia's peace, stability and prosperity, managing the competing interests of the world's major powers effectively while fostering regional cooperation, a former secretary-general said. Ong Keng Yong said each superpower had its own approach to preserving and protecting its interests, while small and middle powers often find strength in numbers when navigating complex global and regional challenges. 'The magic of Asean lies in it being able to appreciate the interests of big powers and multiple stakeholders, and then forge a relevant arrangement to balance the respective interests—thereby moving forward constructively,' Ong, now an ambassador-at-large for Singapore, told FMT. He dismissed the notion that Asean meetings were 'endless talk shops', saying they were in fact vital platforms for managing differences and maintaining long-term cooperation. 'What we see as Asean leaders and ministers as well as bureaucrats meeting and talking is just one aspect of the many actions taken to keep all sides engaged.' Ong, the executive deputy chairman at Singapore's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said this sustained diplomacy has helped keep the region stable, and hence, economically appealing. 'The goal is always to keep Southeast Asia attractive to business and investment, grow the economy and trade, and increase the relevance and value of Asean to all stakeholders in the international system,' he said. Ong said the bloc was key to the peace and prosperity of all Southeast Asian nations, a factor that tends to be underappreciated. He said the Asean nations collaborate well with each other and are able to manage crises and maintain order and peace through 'savvy diplomacy'. Ong said maintaining Asean centrality—making the bloc the primary driving force in shaping regional cooperation and external engagement—amid geopolitical jostling and leadership initiatives by big powers was no easy feat. Asean is made up of 10 member states with differing socioeconomic levels and political systems. Timor-Leste is expected to become its 11th member under Malaysia's chairmanship this year. Geographically, the region holds high strategic, geopolitical and geo-economic value as it is home to the South China Sea and the Malacca Strait, two of the world's critical maritime trade routes. According to Ong, Asean centrality reflected the dexterity of its leaders and vision to work with the region's strengths and limitations in order to survive and prosper. 'Asean leaders' readiness to innovate and be creative has moved Asean forward in a world characterised by turbulence, uncertainty, novelty and ambiguity.' With the Asean Community Vision 2025 concluding this year, member states are already gearing up for the launch of the blocs Asean Community Vision 2045. Launched in 2015 during Malaysia's last chairmanship, the 2025 vision saw the region rise to become the world's fourth-largest economy by GDP. 'Malaysia has been the Asean chair on numerous occasions over the past six decades. It has the capability and maturity to lead Asean to manage the various challenges in geopolitics, economic transformation, and future mandate,' said Ong. The 46th Asean Summit, set for May 26–27 in Kuala Lumpur, will focus on the theme 'Sustainability and Inclusivity'.
