MELAKA: The establishment of a special ASEAN working group to combat money laundering will be among the key proposals at the 19th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime.
Home Ministry International Division secretary Mohd Azlan Razali said the idea was mooted by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, given that the region currently lacks a dedicated platform to address the issue.
“Money laundering is a crime that impacts all 10 member states, and there is consensus to step up efforts to fight it through the creation of a full-fledged working group,“ he said on Bernama TV’s Apa Khabar Malaysia programme.
“At present, ASEAN has no special body like the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) or the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG).”
“That is why the Home Ministry, together with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), has agreed to table this proposal at the meeting so the new group can focus on tackling money laundering.”
Mohd Azlan stated that the proposal has also garnered support from international partners, including the United Kingdom, which has provided financial assistance and technical expertise through the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
“We have successfully organised a series of regional symposiums and conferences in preparation for the establishment of the working group.”
“We hope the proposal will be endorsed in Melaka, paving the way for stronger ASEAN cooperation in tackling money laundering, which has a significant impact on all the member states,“ he said.
Besides money laundering, the AMMTC is also expected to focus on terrorism, cybercrime, human trafficking, drug and timber smuggling, as well as wildlife trafficking.
Security ministers from ASEAN member states will convene alongside East Asia’s dialogue partners, China, Japan and South Korea. – Bernama
