The year 2025 not only marks the 10th anniversary of the ASEAN Community but also serves as a critical moment in shaping the association's future development vision. This responsibility falls on Malaysia, which currently holds the ASEAN chairmanship, as well as its member states.
As one of the five founding countries of ASEAN, Malaysia has extensive experience in organising high-level meetings as well as in its role as the rotating chair of the association.
The last time Malaysia held the ASEAN chairmanship was in 2015, a year that marked the formation of the ASEAN Community and the ASEAN Community Vision 2025.
Malaysia takes on this chairmanship amid the association has gained significant achievements in implementing comprehensive plans based on three pillars: political-security, economics, and socio-cultural community.
ASEAN continues to maintain unity and solidarity, increasingly playing a central role in promoting peace, stability, and development in the region. ASEAN is now a "common home" for over 700 million people, and is the fifth-largest economy in the world.
The theme for ASEAN Year 2025, ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, was announced by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim during the handover ceremony from Laos to Malaysia in October 2024.
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Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar bin Ibrahim (right) on October 11 receives the ASEAN Chairmanship gavel from the Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone. (Photo: VNA) |
Based on this overarching theme, Malaysia plans to host two summits and more than 300 ministerial and official meetings throughout this year.
In outlining key priorities for ASEAN Year 2025, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan emphasised that to further enhance ASEAN's central role, it is essential to strengthen the strategic trust among member states through dialogue and goodwill. Solidarity and unity within the association have always played a crucial role, especially given the complex geopolitical changes occurring both regionally and globally.
According to Hasan, increasing intra-ASEAN trade and investment is also one of the priorities for the ASEAN chair. In recent years, Southeast Asia's economy has recorded an average growth rate higher than the global average.
Nevertheless, intra-regional trade still accounts for only about one-fifth of total ASEAN trade. Therefore, the association will leverage advancements in science, technology, and innovation to promote growth in intra-regional trade.
Additionally, Malaysia aims to integrate inclusivity and sustainability into efforts to build the ASEAN Community. This includes focusing on narrowing development gaps and inequalities, improving living standards for people, and reducing the impacts of climate change.
Furthermore, Malaysia plans to implement initiatives across various fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), renewable energy, tourism, and healthcare.
Member states are looking forward to adopting the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 this year. This vision not only reflects a continuation of past achievements but must also provide momentum for ASEAN to realise its aspirations in the coming period.
This involves building a self-reliant, dynamic, innovative, and people-centred community. As such, collaboratively shaping the future of the association over the next 20 years is considered a top priority for the ASEAN chair.
In his New Year’s speech, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that maintaining unity and enhancing centrality while ensuring sustainable development in the region — without leaving anyone behind — are among the set tasks for ASEAN.
He also suggested that the association needs to establish new directions and tasks that align with the rapidly changing global context. Alongside guidance from the ASEAN chair, member states must work together to shoulder responsibilities to firmly move forward on the new developmental path.
