Malaysia as 2025 Asean chair: a test of diplomacy, regional cohesion – and its China ties

With tensions rising in the South China Sea and the Myanmar crisis still unresolved, Malaysia’s leadership will be closely scrutinised

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Chairing Asean allows Malaysia to reaffirm its role as a key regional player, observers say. Photo: Reuters

Published: 8:00am, 2 Sep 2024Updated: 7:22pm, 2 Sep 2024

Malaysia’s coming chairmanship of Asean in 2025 will test its diplomatic skills, as experts argue its evolving stance on the Israeli-Gaza war and strengthening ties with China could challenge the bloc’s unity.

Tough issues are sure to crop up during its tenure, said Thomas Daniel, a senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia.

“Malaysia will require no small amounts of deft, proactive diplomacy to manage these issues in a way that positively pushes the needle forward where possible, avoids any kind of regression, and emphasises both Asean’s interests and cohesion,” he told This Week in Asia.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has expressed confidence in Malaysia’s ability to host the Asean Summit, with Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan outlining the three pillars for its chairmanship as security and politics; the economy; and socio-culture.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ chair, currently held by Laos, rotates annually around the 10 member states in English alphabetical order.

Foreign ministers pose for a group photo at the 25th Asean Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, in July. Photo: AP

But concerns are mounting about the bloc’s cohesion amid its struggles dealing with the Myanmar crisis and South China Sea disputes.