Amir Hamzah: Asean will stay neutral, foster ties with both US, China
KUALA LUMPUR: Asean has consistently maintained a neutral stance in its relations with both the United States (US) and China, and this remains central to the region's diplomatic approach, said Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan.
"So, while the US position and the Chinese position may have very different stances along the way, what Asean has been good at over all these years is to maintain some sense of neutrality - some sense of being able to trade with each other, to trade with both sides without getting into very difficult 'gaps or mess' along the way," he said at the Asean Leadership Forum in Washington, DC, on Friday.
"And I think that's what we will continue to want to do, because a much more harmonious, much more open mechanism allows for a better outcome than a fractured mechanism.
"This has been proven in the past, and Asean want to continue to work towards that in the future," he added during a one-hour session at the Centre For Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) forum.
He said this approach allows the bloc's 10 member states, including Malaysia which is currently the Asean Chair, to foster constructive ties with both global powers while safeguarding regional stability and unity.
On whether individual member states engaging with the US separately contradicts Asean's message of a unified approach, Amir Hamzah said the different levels of development of the member states need to be taken into account.
Asean, as a bloc, is quite sizeable with a combined with gross domestic product of close to US$3.8 trillion (RM16.6 trillion), making it the fifth-largest economic bloc globally.
"However, Singapore is probably very high up the value chain, and other members may not be so high up, and the nature of their exports and imports is also very different (from each other) and the skill sets that exist in the countries are very different," he said.
As a bloc, there are common areas and potentials where Asean can work together, he said.
"So there is no misalignment in that instance, and we will continue to push to enable greater inter-Asean trade and predictability, and deployment of joint projects in infrastructure and so on that are beneficial for the Asean economy overall," Amir Hamzah said.
According to him, the shift in the global trading environment needed a response.
"So the first response that Asean said was actually, 'Don't fight it', because when you actually dig in positions, you don't create an environment where conversations can actually occur. Hence the non-retaliatory mechanism that we talked about," he said, referring to Asean's immediate response to US reciprocal tariffs.
Although the tariffs are currently on a pause, Asean's Indochinese member states were the hardest hit, with Cambodia facing combined baseline and retaliatory duties totalling 49 per cent, followed by Laos (48 per cent), Vietnam (46 per cent), and Myanmar (44 per cent).
Thailand was subjected to a tariff rate of 36 per cent, Indonesia 32 per cent, Malaysia and Brunei both 24 per cent, and the Philippines 17 per cent, while Singapore faced a baseline tariff of 10 per cent.
Amir Hamzah said Asean continues to uphold its commitment to multilateral and rule-based mechanism.
"We want a rule-based mechanism to continue to exist. And I think each member state has a grip on those high level principles.
"But we are also practical in understanding that there may be differences between each state, and there may be differences in prioritisation that each state may want. Hence, bilaterals will continue to exist."
Amir Hamzah said there's no blame regarding members pursuing what makes sense for their national interests.
"But we must (also) have the ability to talk to each other, whereby we don't, in the (bilateral) discussions, make things worse for other Asean members.
"Hence, there are regular ongoing communications between Asean members to make sure we don't pin other members into corners. I think that's the best outcome, giving flexibility that addresses the gaps in development growth while allowing members to exercise their sovereign rights to move on," he added.
The minister said such diversity doesn't weaken the bloc; instead, it underscores the need for bilateral relationships to carry on alongside regional efforts.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
Merdeka Center's Survey Shows PM Anwar's Approval Rating Rises To 55 Pct
GENERAL KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 (Bernama) -- A survey by Merdeka Center, an independent organisation focused on public opinion research and socio-economic analysis, found that a majority of Malaysian voters gave Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim a positive approval rating of 55 per cent in May this year compared with 43 per cent in June last year. The centre said the survey on 1,208 registered voters showed that Malaysians are beginning to feel that the country is finally on steadier ground with political turbulence easing and Anwar now leading a government with a two-thirds parliamentary majority. 'Institutional reforms like the revived Parliamentary Services Act 2025 also signal a return to principled governance,' it said in a statement today. It said public frustration over the cost of living has also been mitigated by the government's minimum wage increase to RM1,700 combined with festive cash aid for civil servants and ongoing fuel subsidies amid inflation at a three-year low of 1.4 per cent in March 2025 and economic growth hitting 4.4 per cent in the first quarter. 'While the survey continues to show that the public's top concerns remain the economy, the absence of price shocks despite the withdrawal of diesel fuel subsidies in 2024 has helped ease sentiments,' it said. The centre said Anwar has also enhanced Malaysia's global profile by hosting China's President Xi Jinping and chairing ASEAN in 2025 which gave him a diplomatic spotlight. 'New investment deals, trade cooperation and leadership in Global South initiatives have bolstered his image at home,' it said. At the same time, the centre said the federal government's rating also improved to 50 per cent in May 2025 compared with 40 per cent in June 2024. It said dissatisfaction towards the federal government eased to 48 per cent compared with 58 per cent a year ago.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Anwar records 55 pct approval rating at mid-term mark
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has secured a 55 per cent approval rating as his administration reaches the halfway point of its term, according to a Merdeka Center survey. The mid-term poll suggests that more Malaysians are optimistic about the country's direction, citing political stability, institutional reforms, and economic recovery as key contributing factors. The research house found that Anwar, who leads a government with a two-thirds parliamentary majority, has benefited from easing political turbulence and institutional reforms, including the revival of the Parliamentary Services Act 2025 - seen as a return to principled governance. On the economic front, government data showed that inflation dropped to 1.4 per cent in March - the lowest in three years - while the country recorded 4.4 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2025. Recent measures such as a minimum wage hike to RM1,700, festive cash aid for civil servants, and continued fuel subsidies were viewed as helping ease public concerns over the rising cost of living. Despite the removal of diesel subsidies in 2024, the absence of major price shocks has contributed to improving public sentiment. Malaysia's global standing has also improved, with Anwar's diplomatic efforts - including hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping and chairing Asean in 2025 - enhancing his image at home. "His leadership on Global South initiatives and the signing of new investment and trade deals were also cited as positive developments," the report stated. Nonetheless, the survey found that domestic economic concerns still weigh heavily on voters' minds. "While Anwar's personal ratings remain positive, only 50 per cent of respondents expressed satisfaction with the federal government's performance, up from 40 per cent in June 2024. "Dissatisfaction levels dropped to 48 per cent from 58 per cent over the same period. "As for the country's overall direction, 50 per cent of voters still believe Malaysia is headed the wrong way, although this figure has declined from 61 per cent a year ago. "Those who felt the country was on the right track increased to 43 per cent, compared to just 29 per cent in June last year," the report read. Merdeka Center attributed continued public unease to national economic concerns and anxiety over upcoming subsidy cuts. The survey, conducted between May 12 and 23, involved 1,208 registered voters — comprising 52 per cent Malays, 29 per cent Chinese, 7 per cent Indians, and 12 per cent Bumiputera from Sabah and Sarawak — selected through random stratified sampling across age, gender, ethnicity and state.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Anwar records 55pc approval rating at mid-term mark
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has secured a 55 per cent approval rating as his administration reaches the halfway point of its term, according to a Merdeka Center survey. The mid-term poll suggests that more Malaysians are optimistic about the country's direction, citing political stability, institutional reforms, and economic recovery as key contributing factors. The research house found that Anwar, who leads a government with a two-thirds parliamentary majority, has benefited from easing political turbulence and institutional reforms, including the revival of the Parliamentary Services Act 2025 - seen as a return to principled governance. On the economic front, government data showed that inflation dropped to 1.4 per cent in March - the lowest in three years - while the country recorded 4.4 per cent growth in the first quarter of 2025. Recent measures such as a minimum wage hike to RM1,700, festive cash aid for civil servants, and continued fuel subsidies were viewed as helping ease public concerns over the rising cost of living. Despite the removal of diesel subsidies in 2024, the absence of major price shocks has contributed to improving public sentiment. Malaysia's global standing has also improved, with Anwar's diplomatic efforts - including hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping and chairing Asean in 2025 - enhancing his image at home. "His leadership on Global South initiatives and the signing of new investment and trade deals were also cited as positive developments," the report stated. Nonetheless, the survey found that domestic economic concerns still weigh heavily on voters' minds. "While Anwar's personal ratings remain positive, only 50 per cent of respondents expressed satisfaction with the federal government's performance, up from 40 per cent in June 2024. "Dissatisfaction levels dropped to 48 per cent from 58 per cent over the same period. "As for the country's overall direction, 50 per cent of voters still believe Malaysia is headed the wrong way, although this figure has declined from 61 per cent a year ago. "Those who felt the country was on the right track increased to 43 per cent, compared to just 29 per cent in June last year," the report read. Merdeka Center attributed continued public unease to national economic concerns and anxiety over upcoming subsidy cuts. The survey, conducted between May 12 and 23, involved 1,208 registered voters — comprising 52 per cent Malays, 29 per cent Chinese, 7 per cent Indians, and 12 per cent Bumiputera from Sabah and Sarawak — selected through random stratified sampling across age, gender, ethnicity and state.
