Timor-Leste nears permanent ASEAN membership ahead of October summit
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan confirmed the progress during a press briefing today.
'At the upcoming ASEAN Summit in October, there will be a ceremony to welcome Timor-Leste as a permanent member of ASEAN. Right now, it is only at the documentation stage,' he said.
He added that Timor-Leste has met most of ASEAN's membership requirements.
'We decided that they should first be admitted as a permanent member, after which ASEAN will assist them in completing the remaining documentation process,' he explained.
Mohamad spoke after officiating UMNO Rembau's women, youth, and puteri division meetings.
ASEAN reaffirmed its commitment to Timor-Leste's inclusion as the 11th member at the 47th ASEAN Summit in October.
The decision aligns with the outcome of the 46th ASEAN Summit.
A Joint Communique from the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting on July 9 highlighted support for Timor-Leste's early accession to key economic agreements.
'We look forward to Timor-Leste fulfilling its roles and obligations as an incoming member state and its commitment to upholding ASEAN's fundamental principles,' the statement read.
Timor-Leste, Southeast Asia's youngest nation, applied for ASEAN membership in 2011.
The country gained independence on May 20, 2002, after years of struggle.
Despite delays, Dili has shown strong commitment to meeting ASEAN's membership criteria.
In February, Malaysia contributed US$200,000 to the ASEAN Secretariat's Timor-Leste Unit in Jakarta.
The funds aim to accelerate the membership process.
Malaysia has also provided technical training through the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP).
To date, 319 Timor-Leste officials have received training in various fields under the programme. - Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 minutes ago
- The Star
Police summon father of activist linked to subversive ‘Hong Kong Parliament'
National security police have summoned the father of an activist wanted for his involvement in the 'Hong Kong Parliament', a group deemed subversive by authorities, to 'assist in an investigation', the Post has learned. A source said that the birth father of Alan Keung Ka-wai, a man surnamed Koo, had been asked to report to Tin Shui Wai Police Station on Wednesday morning to help with the investigation into his Canadian-based activist son. Keung is also believed to have a stepfather. '[We] expect the investigation to wrap up around noon,' the source said. Koo was seen leaving the police station around noon. Alan Keung is among 15 activists who were each slapped with a HK$200,000 (US$25,477) bounty last month for their involvement in an overseas election organised by 'Hong Kong Parliament' in May. Police earlier accused the group, founded by wanted self-exiled activists Elmer Yuan Gong-yi, Victor Ho Leung-mau, Fok Ka-chi and Choi Ming-da, of attempting to subvert state power by promoting 'self-determination' and formulating a so-called Hong Kong constitution. Keung was also the chairman of the Taiwan-based advocacy group, Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union. Four members of the union based in the city, aged 15 to 47, were arrested by national security police last month for conspiring to subvert state power. A man surnamed Keung published a declaration in a local Chinese-language newspaper last Thursday, saying that he, his wife and his son were severing familial ties with the activist in Canada. 'From now on, any disputes involving Keung Ka-wai with Chinese or Western forces will be unrelated to us, [with this severance] in effect immediately,' the statement said. The latest round of arrest warrants and bounties declared by police has sparked another row between China and several Western countries. Last week, Beijing slammed the G7 for 'blatantly slandering and defaming' Hong Kong police's law enforcement actions. The G7, which consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, said Hong Kong's latest move was a form of transnational repression that undermined human rights and the safety of communities. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Dropping Formula One was a mistake, says Sepang boss
KUALA LUMPUR: Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif believes it was a mistake for Malaysia to stop hosting Formula One races here. Shafriman said it is now very difficult to bring back the race to Sepang as there is a long waiting list for a slot on the Formula One calendar. SIC is currently preparing to negotiate a contract renewal for MotoGP hosting rights with Dorna Sports. "We do not want to repeat the mistakes of the past. We let Formula One go and now it is very hard to get it back. I hope we don't make the same mistake with MotoGP," said Shafriman recently. "There is a waiting list to get back in (for Formula One) and of course, the costs are very expensive. We were quoted US$70 million race fees (by owners Liberty Media). "That is for each event (edition of Malaysian GP). That does not include our setup costs which are in the region of RM10 to RM20 million for each event. "In total, it would cost us more than RM300 million to bring back the race (annually). "A lot of people (countries) are queuing so it won't be easy. But if we are really serious about it, then maybe we can start the conversation." Sepang hosted Formula One between 1999 to 2017 but dropped the event due to high organising costs, dwindling global interest in the championship and disappointing ticket sales in Malaysia. Formula One has, however, been given a new lease of life since being taken over by current owners Liberty Media in 2017. The Drive to Survive Netflix series, which began airing in 2019, and the introduction of Saturday sprint races in 2021 has significantly boosted interest in the championship. Shafriman added there is strong interest in bringing back the event to Sepang and believes it could be successful if done the right way. "It is not just SIC that wants Formula One. Many other stakeholders from both the government as well as the corporate sector also want it back," said Shafriman. "We have to look at how Singapore is hosting it. They have everyone on board in making it a success, from the ministries to the corporate sector to the hotels. Everybody contributes. "It has to be like that if we bring it back here." Shafriman, however, stressed that it will take some time to turn a profit if Malaysia does once again host Formula One. SIC last week claimed that the highly popular Petronas Grand Prix of Malaysia (MotoGP Malaysia) provides 6.3 times return on investment for Malaysia based on an economic impact study conducted last year. "It will take time. Even with MotoGP, it took time for us to increase the ROI," said Shafriman. "The important thing is that everyone (stakeholders) comes together. "All this while people view MotoGP and Formula One as SIC's events, when they are actually national events. "We are at the forefront in terms of managing the thing, branding and so on, but essentially they are Malaysian events."
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Thai army to lead Asean observers keen on assessing alleged ceasefire violations at Thai-Cambodian border
BANGKOK: The Royal Thai Army (RTA) will lead the Asean Interim Observation Team (IOT) to visit the Thai-Cambodian border from Monday (Aug 18) to Wednesday (Aug 20). The mission aims to monitor alleged breaches of international law and ceasefire conditions by Cambodian troops, government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub (pic) said on Sunday (Aug 17). Asean and Ottawa Convention envoys visit Si Sa Ket Jirayu noted that the visits follow two successful trips organised earlier by the Thai government for international governments and organisations. On Saturday, Asean envoys and representatives from countries that ratified the Ottawa Convention visited Si Sa Ket province. The Ottawa Convention, formally known as the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, bans the use of landmines. During the visit, envoys witnessed evidence of anti-personnel mines allegedly laid by Cambodian troops and spoke directly with affected residents. Jirayu said the Thai government believed the envoys would report their findings to their respective governments and raise the issue with the international community. ICRC representatives assess humanitarian impact The RTA, in coordination with the Foreign Ministry and Interior Ministry, also facilitated a visit by representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). They assessed the humanitarian impact of cross-border attacks on civilians in Surin, Si Sa Ket, and Ubon Ratchathani provinces. ICRC representatives interviewed local residents in Phanom Dong Rak and Kab Choeng districts of Surin, Kantharalak district in Si Sa Ket, and Nam Yuen district in Ubon Ratchathani. Jirayu said the visit demonstrated Thailand's commitment to working with the ICRC to strengthen humanitarian protection mechanisms. ICRC to submit findings to both countries The ICRC gathered facts on the ground, interviewed affected civilians, and will compile a confidential report on the humanitarian impact of the conflict. The organisation will not make its findings public but will submit the report directly to both Thailand and Cambodia. - The Nation/ANN
