Asean may be ‘insufficient', but it's indispensable, says academic
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Kuik Cheng Chwee said problems within the region will be more difficult to resolve without Asean.
KUALA LUMPUR : An academic said today that while Asean may be perceived as being 'insufficient', the bloc is indispensable.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Kuik Cheng Chwee said Asean was important because it managed and mitigated intra-Asean problems. It also enhanced regional cooperation and prosperity.
He cited the dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over the 11th-century Preah Vihear Temple which the two countries are laying claim to.
'While we have problems within Asean, they would be much bigger and more difficult to resolve without it (the bloc),' Kuik, who heads UKM's Asian studies, said at the 38th Asia-Pacific Roundtable today.
The roundtable, organised by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, is aimed at bringing together diplomats, foreign policy experts and analysts to discuss key issues impacting the Asia-Pacific.
Kuik also said Asean enhanced regional cooperation and prosperity and provided its members, who mainly comprised small and middle powers, with a platform upon which they were better able to navigate global trends including great-power rivalries.
It was for this reason that Asean-centrality and regionalism had been a fixture of Malaysian foreign policy for decades, even before the Anwar Ibrahim administration, he said.
'But nobody will say that Asean is sufficient,' he conceded, acknowledging its weakness when it came to matters that required urgent attention.
These sentiments were shared by Australian academic Stuart Kaye on a separate panel which addressed perspectives on maritime security.
'Does it solve crises particularly well? No, but it was not designed to do that, and it should be commended for the work it does well,' Kaye, director and professor of law at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security said.
AdChoices
ADVERTISING
'Asean works best when it is trying to integrate what its members do into a regional roadmap, and it excels in its ability to do this on maritime issues in the South China Sea.'
He said international law assumed that some level of international cooperation was desirable, especially in semi-enclosed seas such as the South China Sea, and Asean's ability to coordinate its response showed its commitment to multilateral cooperation in the region.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
6 judges honoured with rare elevation ceremony in Penang
The six judges with presiding senior Justice Rozana Ali Yusoff after the elevation ceremony at the High Court in George Town. GEORGE TOWN : Six High Court judges were honoured at a rare judicial elevation ceremony here today, reviving a long-standing tradition with roots dating back over two centuries. Today's ceremony presided over by senior judge Justice Rozana Ali Yusoff was the first to honour six judges at once. They were: Quay Chew Soon, Anand Ponnudurai, Azizan Arshad, Kenneth Yoong Ken Chinson St James, Fathiyah Idris and Rofiah Mohamad. Penang Bar chair Gowri Subbaiyah said the elevation ceremony usually takes place only when judicial commissioners are confirmed as High Court judges, 'which usually takes two to three years'. However, some among the six judges had been confirmed over the past three years but had not been formally recognised. 'Since they are still serving here, we felt it was only right to include them,' she said. It is understood that the elevation ceremony was last held in 2017, when Justice Lim Chong Fong, now a judge at the Court of Appeal, was elevated to the High Court. After today's ceremony, Justice St James described his confirmation as both humbling and liberating. 'I'm beholden to no one now. Only to God, my oath, the Constitution, and the rule of law,' he said. Justice Quay said his time in Penang had been both challenging and rewarding. 'I've enjoyed the cases, especially the complex ones, as they test the mind. And I've enjoyed the food and the people even more,' he said, adding that Penang was 'the best station a judge could hope for'. Justice Fathiyah paid tribute to the senior lawyers who helped her grow when she was a sessions court judge in Ipoh. Justice Anand, best known for his work in employment law, said the variety of cases in Penang had pushed him to grow. 'I've had to learn Acts of Parliament I never knew existed. And it's been worth it,' he said. 'My guiding rule is simple. I must be honest with myself. If I sign a judgment, it's because I believe it's the right decision.' The elevation ceremony is believed to have its beginnings in 1808 when the colonial settlement received its charter of justice, which led to the founding of the first formal court. Elevation ceremonies used to include a procession where judges would walk in full regalia from St George's Church to the court building. Although public processions are no longer held, the 'ceremonial spirit lives on', according to lawyer T Tharumarajah, who said the ceremony is aimed at introducing new judges to the public. It also serves as a bridge between the bar and the bench. He said: 'Judges and lawyers are meant to engage (with one another), not keep apart. But after the scandals that rocked the judiciary in the early 2000s, that bond weakened. It shouldn't be that way.'
Free Malaysia Today
3 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Abang Jo to ‘table something' at special Sarawak assembly sitting
Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg is expected to table a bill at a special one-day sitting of the state assembly. PETALING JAYA : The Sarawak legislative assembly will convene on July 7 for a special one-day sitting, with state premier Abang Johari Openg expected to table a bill. The Borneo Post reported that a letter on the special sitting, which starts at 9am, has been sent to assemblymen, although the purpose was not disclosed. Sarawak deputy premier Dr Sim Kui Hian was also reticent about the agenda of the meeting when asked by reporters, saying simply that Abang Johari would be 'tabling something' on the day without elaborating further.
Malaysia Sun
3 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
Piyush Goyal's statement on India ASEAN Trade is unwarranted, says former Union Minister Anand Sharma
ANI 20 Jun 2025, 15:09 GMT+10 New Delhi [India], June 20 (ANI): Former Union Commerce & Industry Minister of India, Anand Sharma, on Friday said in a statement that the statement by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on 'belittling India ASEAN Trade Agreements is unwarranted, ill-advised and unfortunate.' Anand Sharma believes that both India and ASEAN has been together for three decades engaged in a multifaceted relationship which is mutually rewarding and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a regional bloc of ten Southeast Asian countries. Formed in 1967, its primary goals are to foster economic growth, social progress, and cultural development, while also promoting regional peace and further believes that this relationship is important for 'Look East policy to deepen and diversify India's relations with a region that is economically vibrant and of enormous geo-strategic importance for engagement with the Asia-Pacific region.''Piyush Goyal's statement terming the Trade agreement with ASEAN as silly and labelling these counties as B team of China is irresponsible and insulting. He has forgotten, that President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto was the chief guest for 2025 Republic Day Parade,' Anand Sharma said. The former Union Minster in his statement also emphasized that, 'trade in goods with ASEAN counties also includes essential imports: Iron ore and Coal from Indonesia, Palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia, Oil - Petroleum products from Brunei Dares Salam and Malaysia and pulses from Mayanmar.''It needs mention that ASEAN is India's 4th largest trading partner accounting for over 11% of India's total global trade with bilateral trade at 120billion USD and accounts for over 11% of India's Exports. FDI inflows from ASEAN to India account for over 18% of total FDI inflows since 2000,' he further about the Commerce Minister, he also said that, 'Commerce Minister should be prioritising strengthening trade relations with partner countries and not insulting them while bending backwards to negotiate a suboptimal trade agreement with USA on its terms.' (ANI)
