Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim spoke at the 2nd ASEAN Future Forum. — VNA/VNS Photo

 HÀ NỘI — The world is at a geopolitical "inflection point," with numerous global disruptions that ASEAN must navigate, potentially leading to serious consequences for regional peace, prosperity, and the well-being of the Southeast Asian people, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said at the 2nd ASEAN Future Forum held in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

PM Anwar emphasised in the keynote address that ASEAN must shine as a "beacon of hope" against this backdrop, fostering a sustainable, harmonious, and economically dynamic region. He underscored the need for ASEAN to strengthen its central role and strategic autonomy.

ASEAN must always be bear in mind that centrality is not a right, but a privilege, that has to be re-earned and re-earned, he warned

"Our centrality counts for little when there is no cohesion of member states, when we let internal differences and priorities divide us. That's why we are very fortunate, because we are in the region which is the most peaceful in the world," the Malaysian Government leader said.

While raising the regional floor on economic development is vital, we must also strive to elevate the developmental ceiling of our region, building robust and resilient supply chain ecosystem within the region is imperative to withstand looming geo strategic challenges.

Markets in developed nations are increasingly prioritising sustainability, and ASEAN must adapt to such trends to maintain its relevance in global trade.

The Malaysian leader also cautioned ASEAN to remain vigilant to possible rising geopolitical risks, including ongoing tensions between United States and China, and recent tariffs imposed by Washington and its counter tariffs by those on the receiving end, which could present both as opportunities and challenges, but as a region, ASEAN will engage with all partners.

For example, China is a very important neighbour alliance in the region, ASEAN have agreed that late May we'll have China taking part in the ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in May in Kualua Lumpur, but prior to that, the foreign ministers agree that ASEAN should immediately engage in United States and calling for an ASEAN-US Summit.

"So we take a very pragmatic view to engage and trade and treat countries, major, big countries, super powers and the smaller countries as our partners for this endeavour," he noted, adding ASEAN realises that over independence in any one market would leave us vulnerable to external attacks. 

As ASEAN Chair this year, Malaysia has adopted the theme of 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', with a deliberate view towards a future oriented region, Anwar remarked, adding that ASEAN is forging ahead into an era where solidarity and collaboration are paramount in addressing shared challenges and harnessing emerging opportunities. — VNS