KUALA LUMPUR: Asean must chart a bold, forward-looking path amid rising global instability, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, warning that the region must act with strategic autonomy and unity to safeguard its future.

Delivering his speech at the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), the Foreign Minister stressed the need for the bloc to “future-proof” Southeast Asia, amid complex threats ranging from climate change and disruptive technologies to geopolitical rivalries and economic protectionism.

“We, in Asean, must focus our efforts toward a future-proof Southeast Asia. We must keep our spirit of strategic autonomy and collective action alive.

“With the torch now in our hand, we must lead our peoples into a safer, more equitable future,” he said on Wednesday (Jul 9).

Mohamad painted a picture of a world beset by fragmentation, recalling how Asean was born in 1967 during an era of nuclear brinkmanship and proxy wars.

The decision by five Southeast Asian nations to sign the Bangkok Declaration, he said, was a visionary act rooted in multilateralism and dialogue.

“In a world fragmented by conflict, our founders chose to build bridges,” he said.

Fast-forward to today, he said, and the region faces a new array of challenges from the climate crisis and technological disruption to market instability caused by distant wars.

He warned that these issues disproportionately affect countries in the Global South and pose significant risks to regional peace and prosperity.

As Asean Chair this year, he said Malaysia’s priorities will centre on inclusivity and sustainability, to build a resilient, innovative and people-centred community under the newly adopted Asean Community Vision 2045.

“This 20-year vision aims for a resilient, innovative and people-centred Asean. That journey begins now,” he said.

Mohamad also reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to Asean centrality, saying it must continue to shape the region’s future on its own terms, particularly in its engagement with Dialogue Partners during the Post-Ministerial Conferences, Asean Plus Three, East Asia Summit and the Asean Regional Forum.

He also welcomed Algeria and Uruguay as the newest signatories to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, and highlighted Malaysia’s upcoming hosting of the Fourth Cooperation Among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development.

“Asean has never shied away from ambition. Our work carries the hopes and futures of the nearly 700 million souls we represent.

“The stage is set, and the moment is ours,” Mohamad said.