MELAKA: Building trust and a shared commitment among Asean nations is vital to ensuring peace and prosperity in the region, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In his keynote address at the opening of the 19th Asean Ministers’ Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) and Related Meetings at a leading hotel here on Tuesday (Sept 9), the Prime Minister stressed that unity had enabled the regional bloc to remain peaceful and economically dynamic despite global uncertainties.
“Without trust, without sharing information, we cannot strengthen the bonds we already have.
“Our collective security requires us to build resilience together through information sharing, coordinated enforcement and harmonised legal frameworks,” he said.
The event was also attended by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Asean secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn and Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
Anwar said that for more than six decades, Asean had safeguarded stability by relying on dialogue, cooperation and consensus.
“Asean is unique. I am not aware of any other region that has established this level of mutual trust between countries,” he added.
Anwar also reminded delegates that peace should not be seen as merely the absence of conflict but as the presence of justice, stability and prosperity.
“We must remain accountable for our words and actions so that the trust of our people is preserved and strengthened,” he said.
In a statement earlier, the Home Ministry said this year’s AMMTC carries added significance as the Asean Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime 2016–2025 draws to a close, with a new roadmap for 2026–2035 expected to be adopted.
Among the initiatives under consideration are the establishment of a Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) working group on anti-money laundering, the endorsement of an Asean Border Management Cooperation Roadmap and the Melaka Declaration on Combating Transnational Crime.
Ministers are also expected to adopt declarations on cross-border law enforcement, money laundering prevention and innovative approaches such as sports programmes to counter extremism.
The meeting will additionally support Timor-Leste’s Asean membership process. The country is finalising legal measures linked to the Asean Convention on Counter-Terrorism and the Asean Convention Against Trafficking in Persons ahead of its anticipated admission at the 47th Asean Summit next month.
The five-day series of meetings, which began on September 8 with the Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime, runs until Sept 12 under Malaysia’s Asean Chairmanship 2025 theme of “Inclusion and Sustainability”.
