Asean Chairmanship Takes Malaysia To Greater Heights - Anthropologist

By S. Chandravathani KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's chairmanship of Asean next year will promote regional unity, stability and prosperity as it will seek solutions to issues concerning regional peace and security. In order to achieve the objectives, anthropologist Professor Dr Anthony Milner said Malaysia needed to empower all stakeholders and ensure their greater participation in building and reaping the benefits of a truly people-centred Asean community. "Although it will be a huge challenge for Malaysia being the Asean chairman in 2015, it is not impossible to achieve the aspirations of leaders in realising the Asean community," he said. Milner, the second holder of the Tun Hussein Onn Chair in International Studies, said this when met by reporters after delivering a public lecture entitled, 'Group Binding, Moral Balance and Nama: Themes and Origins of Malaysian Foreign Policy' here Monday. The lecture was attended by Eminent Fellow of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Ruler of Perak, Sultan Dr Nazrin Shah. Besides emphasising unity, Milner said Malaysia would likely seek solutions to conflicts in a very careful and diplomatic manner to avoid tensions among the 10-nation association and its region. "Thai conflicts, Rohingya issue and the maritime crisis in the South China Sea are among key challenges accepted ahead, and although it can be daunting tasks, Malaysia must be able to tackle them wisely to take Asean to greater heights," he noted. Milner said he was confident that Malaysia had a clear direction in pushing Asean forward in a more holistic and efficient way for the region's integration beyond 2015, especially with the launch of the Asean Economic Community (AEC). "This is a critical step in ensuring that the priority measures and initiatives for the AEC are in place and the integration process will seamlessly continue beyond 2015," he added. For the record, Malaysia was Asean chairman in 1977 and 2005. --BERNAMA