Tok Mat: Calm in the eye of the storm

The Star

10-05-2025

DATUK Seri Mohamad Hasan's calm demeanour belies the tremendous pressure that comes with the Foreign Minister's job.
He will travel again for a working visit to Russia but not before 'balik kawasan' (making a visit) to his constituency Rembau, Negri Sembilan, over the weekend.
In two weeks, Malaysia will host the 46th Asean Summit and Wisma Putra is the key ministry to make sure all goes well.
Since holding the Cabinet post from December 2023, Mohamad has gone to so many countries on working visits or to accompany the Prime Minister on official trips that he has lost count of the number of countries visited.
If he is tired, he doesn't show it. Fatigue is not in his vocabulary.
Mohamad rarely gives sit-down interviews to the press, so when he finally agrees to meet Sunday Star, it is an opportunity not to be missed. He has notes prepared by his officers for the interview but he hardly looks at them, showing he is comfortable talking about the issues raised. This time it is on Asean.
The 46th Summit on May 26 and 27 in Kuala Lumpur is all ready, says Tok Mat, as he is familiarly known as.
One of the summit highlights will be the adoption of the Asean Community Vision 2045, an ambitious 20-year plan to further integrate the peoples of Asean in political, economic, and social spheres.
The 2045 Vision is a continuation of the Asean 2025 Vision which was adopted, also in Kuala Lumpur, in 2015 when Malaysia was the then Asean chair. It was a historic turning point in Asean: the declaration of the Asean Community's plans for the future after 48 years in existence as a grouping.
But 20 years is a long time to anticipate the challenges ahead. So how does the vision take into consideration all the possible factors?
'Twenty years does not mean we will be doing the same thing. There will be a review every three years and if possible, we will adapt according to the current situation.
'This vision is not so rigid. That is why we call it our shared future because we want a more cohesive community,' he says.
He notes that there is a sense that Asean cohesion is diminishing, especially with the current geopolitical tensions and economic challenges, among other issues.
'During the Foreign Ministers retreat in Langkawi in January, I told my Asean colleagues that it is true each of us has our own foreign policy and interests. But I reminded them that Asean should remain united in the face of major power rivalries in the region.
'We want a strong Asean bloc on a solid platform, hence the theme this year is 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'.'
Myanmar will definitely be one of the issues on the table. Malaysia has appointed Tan Sri Othman Hashim as the special envoy of Asean on this. This position currently rotates every year with the Chair of Asean. The envoy is tasked with finding a peaceful solution to the country's human rights violation and humanitarian crisis sparked by the 2021 military coup.
Othman has just returned from New York after briefing the UN Security Council on his engagements with the various Myanmar stakeholders.
The special envoy will be reporting to Asean leaders on May 26 while Mohamad will chair the Asean Troika on Myanmar and the Extended Troika on May 24.
The troika mechanism was established by Asean leaders in 2023 to ensure continuous work on handling the crisis in Myanmar. The troika consists of the previous, current, and incoming Asean Chairs. Currently, members of the troika are Laos, Malaysia, and the Philippines, while the extended troika consists of other member states.
Last year, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim caught everyone off guard when he announced former Thai leader Thaksin Shinawatra as an informal adviser to the Asean Chair. Anwar has met Thaksin several times, and at their last meeting in Bangkok last month, questions were raised on giving legitimacy to Myanmar's State Administrative Council junta chief Min Aung Hlaing by inviting him to Bangkok for a meeting. Anwar also held an online meeting with Mahn Win Khaing Thann, the leader of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG).
So how does the work of the special envoy and Thaksin-led advisory group complement each other in bringing peace in Myanmar?
Mohamad explains that Thaksin's contribution is through his influence with various stakeholders, and along with former Cambodian leader Hun Sen in the advisory group, adds value to its reconciliatory efforts.
'But everything must go through the Asean platform. There is the Asean way of doing things. We have the consensus process,' he added.
Mohamad also shares what he saw when he went to Myanmar capital Naypyidaw on a humanitarian mission after the powerful earthquakes recently.
'I went as Asean Chair and invited Thai foreign minister Maris Sangiampongsa to join us. I saw disaster all round, buildings and roads collapsed. I told my Thai colleague that perhaps this earthquake can be a start for Myanmar reconciliatory efforts.
'That is why the temporary ceasefire to allow recovery is important because it will take years to do so.
'I held a meeting with the Myanmar Foreign Minister in a tent because his office building had collapsed, there were casualties,' he recalls.
Another highlight of the 46th Asean Summit will be the Second Asean Gulf Cooperation Council Summit (GCC) and Asean-GCC-China Economic Summit.
Mohamad notes concern about the United States' possible reaction to the economic summit with China.
'We have informed the US that China is our trading partner, and likewise Asean wants to have a summit with the US. We do not want to be seen as taking sides with any countries.
'The Prime Minister has written to the US for the summit to take place this year, if possible.'
Towards the end of the interview, Mohamad speaks about the challenges he has faced as the Foreign Minister.
'There is no problem in carrying out my job as our foreign policy is already there.
'But sometimes challenges arise with the interference of powerful nations. It is managing a situation that hopefully will not get worse or ensuring everyone gets along and not be suspicious of each other,' he says without elaborating.
Overlapping claims in the South China Sea have been a flashpoint and contentious issue among some Asean claimant states, namely Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Along with China, Taiwan is also staking a claim.
There are also member states which are seen as friendly to major powers.
Asean and China are still negotiating a Code of Conduct to manage disputes and ensure the region remains peaceful.
'That is why communication with my colleagues is important,' he says, adding that there is a private group chat among all the Asean foreign ministers except Myanmar's.
'After coming back from Vientianne last year [Laos was Chair], I was complaining it was difficult to get some of them since they were constantly travelling.
'Now that we have this group chat, we are closer and it's so much easier to communicate and to quickly react to developing issues like Gaza and the quake in Myanmar.'