NEW YORK: ASEAN must continue its effort to restore credibility to the Five-Point Consensus while cultivating security and stability in Myanmar.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said ASEAN is deeply disappointed that the agreed-upon ceasefires in Myanmar have been broken in some areas, and that violence continues to endanger civilians.
He stated that those in power have a responsibility to remember that Myanmar is part of a region, not an isolated country.
Mohamad emphasised that there is a bright and safe future for all of our peoples if we work together in good faith towards a Myanmar-owned, and Myanmar-led, resolution to the crisis in the country.
He made these remarks when delivering Malaysia’s National Statement at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters here on Saturday.
According to Mohamad, ASEAN will continue to play an important role as a regional bloc in ensuring peace, strengthening security, enhancing economic resilience, and advancing the sustainability goals throughout the region.
As ASEAN chair in 2025, Mohamad noted that Malaysia has also learned of the colossal efforts that peace requires.
He explained that when conflict threatened to spiral between our neighbours, ASEAN did not stand idle.
Mohamad said ASEAN stepped in, convened both sides in Malaysia, and implemented a ceasefire that ASEAN is now ensuring takes root through active monitoring on the ground.
He acknowledged that challenges remain but made clear that ASEAN will stay at the table, urging both States to honour their commitments.
Mohamad stressed that there is no conflict, whether inter-state or intra-state, that is worth risking the stability of our home.
He said that it has been Malaysia’s honour, as well as its greatest task to date, to take on Southeast Asia’s challenges this year.
Mohamad said the regional bloc, comprising 10 member states, has embraced change, expanded its membership, and actively engaged with the world over the past 58 years.
He added that ASEAN remains committed to addressing not only its internal challenges but also those that emerge beyond the region.
Mohamad stressed that the South China Sea must not be used as leverage in strategic competition.
He declared that never again can Southeast Asia and its waters become a theatre for rivalry between the superpowers.
Mohamad therefore urged all parties to fully comply with UNCLOS, and to avoid actions that could provoke miscalculation or conflict in the waters we share.
In his address, Mohamad also emphasised that Malaysia will also continue to champion the rights and needs of the Global South at large.
He said the Global South has long borne the brunt of unequal economic policies that marginalise developing nations and prevent them from participating fairly in the global economy.
Mohamad added that the Global South also faces a staggering financing gap for sustainable development, despite being home to the world’s most vulnerable populations.
He described the irony as painful, noting that we constitute the world’s majority, yet remain under-represented in its decision-making, under-served in development financing, and side-lined in global governance.
Mohamad insisted that these imbalances must be corrected, stating that the voices, needs, and aspirations of the Global South are not secondary.
He concluded that a fairer international order cannot be built without placing the Global South at its centre, adding that Malaysia will continue to advocate dignity, equity and opportunity for all developing nations. – Bernama