Brunei Darussalam
"For me, the ASEAN Community is about mobility. For Bruneians, we know about Singaporeans, the Malaysians and Indonesians, but as ASEAN airlines expand their reach, we meet more of our neighbours from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Growing mobility connects us, and offer more opportunities to get to know each other.”
-Ak Kamal Ghadafi Pg Suhaimi, 35, youth activist and a food entrepreneur in Bandar Seri Begawan
Cambodia
“The ASEAN Community focuses on the economy, peace, politics and cultural development. To compete with other countries, I think Cambodia must develop her human resources with good qualifications and potential.”
-Ith Davuth, 24, a student at Pannasastra University, Cambodia
Indonesia
“For me, the ASEAN Community is an opportunity to make friends with people from other member countries. If we have friends in each ASEAN country, travelling around ASEAN can be cheap as we can stay with them or at least ask for their advice on how to visit their country with a limited budget. More than that, our friends can become business partners or network. I myself would look into how I can export handicraft to other ASEAN countries and what I can import from other ASEAN countries to sell in Indonesia. I am excited and looking forward to its inauguration.”
-Lutfah Unanti, employee and English-literature graduate in Jakarta
Lao PDR
"The ASEAN Community is like a friendship bridge that unites our region as one. We share our knowledge to help our economies grow stronger. We share borders and we cooperate with each other to build a better community. "
-Chanthida Phomdouangdy, 25, administrative assistant and receptionist at the Laos Australia Institute
Malaysia
“The ASEAN Community is like a group of 10 friends helping each other become richer and better, even if they are 10 very different people.”
-Joseph Goh, 19, student at Brickfield Asia College, Kuala Lumpur
Myanmar
“It's very good for the whole region and we, as brothers and sisters, work together to achieve reach that goal. . . Myanmar will get a role in ASEAN sooner or later. It will be a good friend of ASEAN. One more thing is that if you are nice to us, we will be nicer to you. We are ASEAN!'.
-Myo Tha Htet, 39, journalist with the Democratic Voice of Burma in Yangon
Philippines
"We are one with all that surrounds us. We have to see ourselves not just as Filipinos but as part of the dynamic ASEAN Community, part of a bigger world, into which we have been placed. I see the ASEAN Community as a movement of engaged individuals ready to advance the causes of the region through consultations, discussions, collaborations, exchange of technologies, and active participation. It calls for a united stand on issues that might potentially harm our region, be they economic, political, or socio-cultural."
-Luis Gatmaitan, a medical doctor and child development specialist in Manila
Singapore
“To me, the ASEAN Community is about working hard. Collectively, there is huge potential in the region in the form of untapped potential. Forming such a community can help foster good ties and relations, as well as allow the member states to tap into each other's expertise, fuelling growth in the region.”
- Holden Lim, 25, a student who works a laboratory officer in Singapore
Thailand
"To me, the ASEAN Community looks like the answer to many questions. Each ASEAN member has been preparing in its own way. We will cross borders to each other more, and might have more power to negotiate with powerful countries.”
-Ditsaya Ditsayasut, 21, student at Thammasat University in Bangkok
Vietnam
“The ASEAN Community means both opportunities and challenges to its stakeholders. One of the most important requirements to work in the ASEAN Community is English fluency. I think we, the ASEAN Community, should have more initiatives to promote the use of English as our regional language. However, I feel excited about Vietnam’s participation in it, since it is a good chance for us to grasp the opportunities to overcome and respond to the challenges.”
- Dr Le Hoang Dung, 38, dean of the Faculty of English Linguistics and Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City
