logo
KLCC reinforces position as secure venue for ASEAN Summit

KLCC reinforces position as secure venue for ASEAN Summit

by HIDAYATH HISHAM
THE Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) is set to welcome the heads of government and delegations of South-East Asian nations this week as it hosts the 46th ASEAN Summit.
In a statement, KLCC said it is honoured to be chosen once again as the official venue for a high-level multilateral gathering, reinforcing its position as an internationally recognised event destination.
'Apart from the advantage of physical infrastructure, KLCC's added value also includes security protocols resulting from close cooperation with senior police officers, traffic authorities and special security forces,' it said.
Security protocols have been strengthened in collaboration with police, traffic enforcement and special forces to ensure the safety of all attending leaders, diplomats and government officials.
Operational capabilities at the venue also include internationally accredited culinary services, secure environments and full-spectrum safety assurance, making it a preferred venue for high-level international engagements.
'Among the latest upgrades are high-definition LED displays, next-generation audiovisual systems and artificial intelligence (AI)-based smart room control systems,
'This initiative is reinforced with high-level cyber security protocols and sustainable event management practices certified by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).
'This positions KLCC at the forefront as a safe and responsible event organiser,' it said.
This year marks KLCC's 20th anniversary, making it the only venue in Malaysia to have hosted multiple ASEAN Summits, including in 2005 and 2015.
Since opening in 2005, the venue has welcomed over 29 million visitors and held more than 22,000 events, contributing approximately RM12.6 billion to the national economy.
KLCC said it continues to serve not just as a venue, but as a strategic platform for Malaysia's global engagement and diplomatic image.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gay Chinese couple fulfil wedding dream in 'freer' Thailand
Gay Chinese couple fulfil wedding dream in 'freer' Thailand

The Star

time4 hours ago

  • The Star

Gay Chinese couple fulfil wedding dream in 'freer' Thailand

Thailand ranks high on recent indexes measuring public attitudes towards LGBTQ people. -- PHOTO: AFP PATTAYA, Thailand (AFP): When Wang Zengyi, 41, and Song Jihan, 29, first met at a friend's dinner party in China, it was love at first sight. "I thought he was handsome and pure," says Wang. "Our love has deepened over time." Nearly three years later, the gay Chinese couple are getting married in Thailand, which became Asia's largest nation to legalise same-sex marriage earlier this year -- including for foreign couples. They are among the first Chinese LGBTQ pairs to tie the knot in the Sout-East Asian country as it celebrates its first Pride since the law's passage. "Thailand is a freer country," said Wang after they signed their marriage certificate at a Bangkok registry office. "It's also more inclusive to our community." He believes they are the first gay Chinese couple to host a full wedding ceremony in Thailand, but that "gradually" more will follow in their footsteps. "I think we are unique so far... but I hope we can have a positive influence." They enlisted the help of an agent and a consultant to organise the wedding and paperwork to finally make their dream come true. - Bureaucratic hurdles - Chinese authorities decriminalised homosexuality in 1997, but same-sex marriage is not legal and social stigma is widespread. Despite a period of relative relaxation in the 2000s to mid-2010s, rights groups say recent years have seen a crackdown on the community's spaces and freedom of expression. Real estate agent Owen Zhu has a property business in Thailand that also helps gay Chinese couples come to Thailand to get married. Zhu, 40, said that the biggest difficulties couples like Wang and Song face are linked to paperwork, as well as prejudice. It is difficult for Chinese LGBTQ individuals to obtain the certificate of single status required by Thailand proving that they are not married, he told AFP. China also does not recognise same-sex marriages registered abroad. But Zhu believes that despite China's bureaucratic hurdles, there will be a rise in the number of Chinese couples looking to wed and even live long-term in Thailand. "There is large market demand from many Chinese same-sex couples," he says. "Thailand is a particularly tempting place, allowing freedom to do things not possible in China, like holding hands or kissing in public with a partner. In China, they may not dare do such things." Zhu says the simple act of signing a marriage document is deeply meaningful for his clients. "Though this piece of paper might not be recognised in China, in their hearts, they see it as recognition and acceptance from the world," he says. - Love ballads, vows - More than 30 countries have legalised marriage for all since the Netherlands became the first to allow same-sex unions in 2001. Thailand was the third place in Asia after Taiwan and Nepal. The kingdom ranks high on recent indexes measuring public attitudes towards LGBTQ people, but matching legal structures were absent before it passed the same-sex marriage bill in a historic parliamentary vote last June. Thousands of couples across the kingdom tied the knot in a mass wedding the day same-sex unions became legal in January this year. Chris Yan, a legal consultant who helped Wang and Song navigate Thai administration to formalise their partnership, says the process for foreigners to register their marriage in Thailand is fairly smooth as long as they can provide the necessary documents. "I believe it is more advanced than many other countries, since the cost in Thailand is quite low," he says. "They can stay in the country for longer and processing the documents is quicker." Surrounded by dozens of close friends and their ring-bearing small fluffy dog, Wang and Song sing love ballads to each other on a sandy Pattaya beach before tearfully reading their wedding vows. They will return home to China after their honeymoon, but hope to eventually retire in Thailand. Life is short, is the message they have for other couples like them. Wang said: "Be with the one you want to be with." - AFP

Asean should shift to strategic firmness to realise 'centrality' concept
Asean should shift to strategic firmness to realise 'centrality' concept

New Straits Times

time12 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Asean should shift to strategic firmness to realise 'centrality' concept

ON May 26, 2025, Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his role as Asean Chair, announced that he had reached out to US President Donald Trump to propose a summit at the bloc level between the United States and Asean ( Association of Southeast Asian Nations). This initiative comes in response to Washington's recent implementation of a 15 per cent tariff on electronics and a 10 per cent levy on agricultural exports from Southeast Asia, measures that are expected to reduce Asean's collective gross domestic product (GDP) growth by up to 0.7 percentage points in 2025. Such unilateral restrictions challenge the principles of multilateralism and undermine Asean's central role in shaping economic, regional, and strategic agendas. This essay argues that as the 46th Asean Summit concluded, the bloc should abandon a deferential stance and instead leverage its economic strength, institutional unity, and commitment to a rules-based order to negotiate with strategic firmness and mutual respect. Asean's foundational concept of "centrality" positions the bloc as a key forum for regional dialogue and crisis management. However, this centrality relies on the ability to influence outcomes. If member states allow internal divisions to hinder decisive action, Asean risks relinquishing authority to other actors, especially China, which has strengthened its regional influence through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). To maintain its negotiating leverage, Asean should avoid a conciliatory approach that relies on piecemeal requests and lobbying for exemptions. Instead, it should adopt a unified stance that emphasises legal remedies, utilises the World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute settlement, and highlights the disproportionate impact on small and medium-sized enterprises across member states. Confronting these challenges requires a two-pronged strategy. First, Asean must advocate for a formal Asean Special Summit, allowing all the heads of government to present synchronised data on tariff impacts, propose practical solutions such as tariff quotas and rates, and reaffirm their commitment to mutual market access. This approach leverages Asean's combined market of 680 million consumers and a total GDP of US$4 trillion to compel US recognition of the bloc as an indispensable partner. If Asean falters, it should authorise the appointment of a Secretariat in coordination with national trade ministries to file a consolidated complaint with the WTO. The bloc must accelerate market integration under the Asean Economic Community framework by reducing non-tariff barriers, harmonising standards, and promoting regional value in higher-value industries. Additionally, diversifying export markets through engagement with the European Union, India, and Japan will help mitigate dependence on the US market. Strengthening financial safety nets, such as the expanding Chiang Mai Multilateralisation Initiative and exploring Asean sovereign bond issuance, will bolster resilience against external shocks. By adopting these measures, Asean will demonstrate that centrality is not a passive status but an active choice to lead principled, secure engagement and shape its economic future. Integrating recommendations with concluding reflections, Asean's next steps must strategically combine assertiveness with pragmatic adaptation. This involves demanding a US Special Summit framed by data-driven analysis, invoking WTO mechanisms when necessary, and fostering deeper economic cooperation. Asean should focus on rolling back punitive tariffs while simultaneously deepening intra-regional integration, diversifying external partnerships, and reinforcing financial contingency arrangements. By doing so, the bloc can transform its centrality from mere aspiration into operational strength, safeguarding its regional relevance and advancing a stable, rules-based Indo-Pacific order.

Between the eagle and the dragon
Between the eagle and the dragon

The Star

time17 hours ago

  • The Star

Between the eagle and the dragon

NO TACO Theory was on his table, but renowned economist Prof Jeffrey D. Sachs thinks that when it comes to the crunch, US President Donald Trump will backtrack on his tariff policies. 'TACO' stands for 'Trump Always Chickens Out', and like the Wall Street traders trading the acronym for laughs, Prof Sachs believes that the US president cannot keep his trade policy as he had announced it on April 2. 'You know, all of the world is confronting this sudden change of the United States' trade policy. But I personally don't believe that the tariffs are going to stick the way that they were announced. Already a lot has been rolled back,' he explains. For one, he adds, he is confident that the courts in the US will find some of the trade policy illegal because it was 'based on declarations of emergencies that don't really exist.' Last Wednesday, the country's Court of International Trade ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority and blocked his tariffs from going into effect. According to the trade court, the emergency law invoked by Trump did not give him unilateral authority to impose tariffs on the world's countries. And although the court then allowed the US administration to keep collecting tariffs while the White House appeals against the ruling, many investors, as AFP reported, feel that Trump 'does not have a very high tolerance for market pressure and will be quick to back off when tariffs cause pain.' For Prof Sachs, the question lies on whether Trump has the authority to introduce tariffs all by himself; in his view, that is the job of the US Congress. Good neighbours Prof Sachs was in Malaysia to speak in a special dialogue titled 'Asean amidst the shifting global order', hosted by Sunway University founder and chancellor Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah ahead of the 46th Asean Summit last week. The dialogue was attended by ambassadors, high commissioners, senior bankers, corporate leaders as well as political and government leaders such as Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming and Subang Jaya state assembly person Michelle Ng. The dialogue was attended by ambassadors, high commissioners, senior bankers, corporate leaders as well as political and government leaders such as Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming and Subang Jaya state assembly person Michelle Ng. During his keynote address, Prof Sachs underscored Asean's pivotal role as a regional bloc in navigating geopolitical uncertainties, highlighting the urgency of regional cooperation in areas such as climate action, economic resilience and multilateral diplomacy. Calling on leaders to harness Asean's collective strength to foster peace, sustainability and long-term prosperity, the Sir Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor in Sustainable Development at Sunway University and president of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) says: 'Asean needs to do two basic things: one is to strengthen the relations within the Asean group, and the second is to strengthen Asean's relations as a group with other partners. 'China will be a major partner, and the GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council), will be a major partner. So, these are two major economic partnerships for Asean.' He notes that Asean is not alone in the tumult of the changing global trade. 'Every place I travel to, I hear the same question. And most of the world simply wants to go on with a rule-based trading system under the WTO (World Trade Organisation) and get the US to go back to that rule-based trading system. 'Most importantly, whatever actions the US takes, which will be detrimental to the US itself, should not impede trade among the rest of the world's countries. No other region should follow the US into this kind of protectionism,' he says. Crucially, he stresses, the US should not try to make Asean choose between it and China. 'That would be unfair, but if Asean were forced to choose, you would choose your neighbour, China, obviously. 'Of course, Asean countries should have good relations with all parts of the world. The goal should be openness to all. So the idea should not be an alliance. The idea should be that Asean, which is a very open region in terms of trade, should be able to trade with the US, and with Europe, with China, and so forth. 'But Asean cannot do without good economic relations with China. That's not even imaginable. So the US should not force or try to force Asean into making choices. 'And if the US tries to put on secondary sanctions that impede Asean's economic relations with China, they would have to be resisted, actually.' As Prof Sachs puts it, 'neighbours need to trade with each other and neighbours need to have common infrastructure.' 'So, at the same time, Asean should work closely with China on physical infrastructure and connectivity. 'The Belt and Road Initiative is a very important, positive initiative. It says, put in fast rail, put in renewable energy, put in digital systems. That's to everybody's mutual benefit.' Ultimately, we need to keep calm, he stresses. 'Keep calm. Don't get into a conflict. We don't want to be in the middle of any conflict. 'There is no reason for a conflict at all, fundamentally. It's a waste of time.' Prof Sachs fully believes that despite the disruptions, turmoil and risks, there are reasons to be optimistic. 'The world is disrupted and changing rapidly, and it is changing in frightening ways on the surface. But I want to argue that below the surface, the deeper trends are positive. And not only positive, but powerful as well. 'For one, the notion of sustainable development, which Sunway University champions, is on the right track. 'There is a lot of work to do, but we are on the path that I believe the world is going to achieve the goals. The world needs to achieve it; it can achieve it, and that combination of both need and capacity, to my mind, suggests that we are going to find our way forward.' 'A cultural revolution' At the core of the shifting global order is an important fact, Prof Sachs stresses: Asia has ended a long period of domination by Europe and the US in the global economy, and the world is now multipolar. 'Asia has restored its place as the centre of gravity of the world economy – the place that Asia has had for most of the last 2,000 years, actually, with the interruption of the period during the Industrial Revolution and Western imperialism. 'Because what has happened is that a world that was profoundly divided by power and technology is now truly a multipolar world; one in which the US and Europe, no doubt, remain very sophisticated and powerful societies, but no longer the dominant societies of the world. 'We've entered the age of multipolarity. That's a big challenge, but it's also a wonderful fact and great opportunity.' Prof Sachs says the US is going through a 'Cultural Revolution', which he believes could last around 20 years. As he points out further, the US market for imports is only about 13% of world imports now. 'So you could close off the US market entirely, and the rest of the world would figure out how to get along pretty well. China, in the meantime, will play a huge, important and positive role for this region, he notes. Still, it is not the end of US' role in the world, says Prof Sachs. 'We are in what I call America's Cultural Revolution. That's not a good thing. Cultural revolutions do not go well. They set back China for 20 years. 'But the US is not lost lost forever. We just need to get through our cultural revolution.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store