High hopes as Malaysia takes up Asean chair

How PM Anwar handles South China Sea, Myanmar issues will be closely watched

- Shannon Teoh

Malaysia is taking up the Asean chairmanship for 2025 against a backdrop of heightened diplomatic activity that has raised expectations of what Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government can achieve heading the South-east Asian bloc.

The premier has had a busy travel schedule since he was sworn in in November 2022.

The pace of his international work is set to continue as he embarks on a South America tour in mid-November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and Group of 20 summit, while also squeezing in a visit to Beijing.

"Malaysia wants to make sure this is the best ever chairmanship," Professor Sufian Jusoh, Institute of Malaysia and International Studies (Ikmas) professor of international trade and investment, told The Straits Times.

He added that Datuk Seri Anwar "will probably try to address the most difficult elephant in the room, (the) Myanmar (crisis)".

Officials have been bullish about making great strides in 2025 ever since the Asean summit earlier in October, which culminated in the ceremonial handover of the chair from Laos to Malaysia.

"This is not an incoming train but the end of the tunnel," Malaysia's Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan said of the Myanmar crisis on Oct 22.

But little progress has been made by the military junta to achieve Asean's five-point consensus since it was agreed upon in 2021. Nearly 6,000 people have been killed and 30,000 imprisoned in the war-torn country.