Latest news with #AzmiHassan
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Tengku Zafrul will flop in PKR too, says analyst
Tengku Zafrul Aziz at a breaking-of-earth ceremony for a surau in Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, in September last year. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Political analysts are not surprised by Tengku Zafrul Aziz's decision to ditch Umno in hopes of joining PKR, but one pundit expects the senator to flop in Anwar Ibrahim's party as well. Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Tengku Zafrul was given a lot of opportunities on a silver platter in Umno, especially since he had the support of party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. Azmi Hassan. However, he failed to muster much grassroots support throughout his time in the party, despite being a member since 1997 and later as a member of the Supreme Council, Azmi said. 'I don't think he will survive in PKR even though he will most probably get the full backing of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim. 'He couldn't survive Umno's politicking even with Zahid's backing, what more PKR?' he told FMT. Even the likes of Rafizi Ramli found it difficult, Azmi said, referring to the former PKR deputy president who was defeated in his re-election bid last week, and resigned from the Cabinet. Azmi believed that Anwar is in a 'very difficult' position because of the potential animosity he would create with Umno if he were to accept Tengku Zafrul into PKR. He said Anwar should weigh the pros and cons carefully, particularly whether or not the former Kota Raja Umno chief offered any added value to PKR. 'I personally don't think (Tengku Zafrul does),' he said. 'He's considered an outsider and giving him a chance to be an election candidate for PKR in the future would create turmoil within PKR. 'He failed to build grassroots support in Umno and he will face the same struggle in PKR. He just doesn't have grassroots support. 'I think he will be accepted into PKR, but it won't help Tengku Zafrul's political career much.' Despite being an Umno member since 1997, the former CIMB Group CEO was widely seen as a technocrat when appointed as finance minister in Muhyiddin Yassin's Cabinet in March 2020, a role he retained in Ismail Sabri Yaakob's government. It was only in the lead-up to the 2022 general election that Tengku Zafrul's Umno membership came to light, as he was fielded, but lost, in the contest for the Kuala Selangor parliamentary seat. After joining Anwar's Cabinet as trade minister, he was elected an Umno Supreme Council member and also the head of the Kota Raja Umno division. He resigned as Selangor Umno treasurer in April last year, citing resistance to positive change, before speculation of his exit from Umno started swirling in December. 'The timing is right' James Chin of the University of Tasmania believed that Tengku Zafrul's announcement yesterday caught neither PKR nor Umno by surprise, saying the timing was appropriate since PKR had just completed its internal elections. James Chin. He did not expect tensions to escalate between PKR and Umno, describing Tengku Zafrul's exit as planned. Chin described warnings from Umno leaders as mere smokescreens. 'Umno already knew he was leaving. The fact that Umno has not attacked Anwar openly since February (over Tengku Zafrul) means that they have already come to an understanding.' With his senatorship expiring at the end of the year, Tengku Zafrul would be eyeing an appointed post in the PKR leadership as well as a winnable seat for the next general election, Chin said. He said Umno had already viewed Tengku Zafrul as an election candidate with low winnability, particularly in the Malay heartlands. '(Figures like Tengku Zafrul) can only win in mixed areas, so he probably thinks PKR is a better fit for him. 'Since his senatorship can't be renewed, his best chance to continue to serve in government is to stand as a candidate in GE16. And since he thinks PKR is a better bet, now is the best time to go in, (after the PKR elections and) two years before GE16.'
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Azmi Hassan's 'Diplomasia' makes current affairs more accessible to youth
KUALA LUMPUR: Efforts to foster greater interest among youth in diplomacy and foreign policy have been given a fresh impetus with the publication of 'Diplomasia', the debut book by Malaysian geostrategist Prof Dr Azmi Hassan. Written in an accessible style and complemented by illustrations, the book is specifically crafted to engage younger readers, who often perceive geopolitics as overly technical and uninteresting. Speaking after the book's launch at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (KLIBF) here today, Azmi said the approach was chosen to make it easier for young people to understand current affairs. "I wrote this book in a simple language. Issues such as tensions in the South China Sea or the Asean Summit 2025 are presented in a narrative style with colour illustrations to capture readers' attention. "This book might also rekindle patriotic and nationalistic spirit among youth, as it includes explanations on historical names of the country such as Malaya and Federation of Malaya, which are becoming increasingly unfamiliar to the younger generation," he said. With more than a decade of experience in geostrategic analysis, Azmi is a well-known figure across various media platforms, frequently offering academic perspectives on both local and international geopolitical matters. According to the book's publisher, PTS Publishing House, Diplomasia is a compilation of current issues that explores Malaysia's soft power on the world stage, including behind-the-scenes insights into the current political landscape. "The book aims to open readers' eyes to Malaysia's wisdom in negotiation and its principled courage, even when dealing with competing global powers," it said in a statement. Among the topics covered in Diplomasia are the Sabah claim, tensions in the South China Sea, Malaysia-Singapore relations, and Malaysia's position in the MH17 tragedy. The book is available from PTS Publishing House starting today at a price of RM35. – Bernama
Barnama
5 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Azmi Hassan's ‘Diplomasia' Makes Current Affairs More Accessible To Youth
KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Bernama) -- Efforts to foster greater interest among youth in diplomacy and foreign policy have been given a fresh impetus with the publication of 'Diplomasia', the debut book by Malaysian geostrategist Prof Dr Azmi Hassan. Written in an accessible style and complemented by illustrations, the book is specifically crafted to engage younger readers, who often perceive geopolitics as overly technical and uninteresting. Speaking after the book's launch at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair (KLIBF) here today, Azmi said the approach was chosen to make it easier for young people to understand current affairs. 'I wrote this book in a simple language. Issues such as tensions in the South China Sea or the ASEAN Summit 2025 are presented in a narrative style with colour illustrations to capture readers' attention. 'This book might also rekindle patriotic and nationalistic spirit among youth, as it includes explanations on historical names of the country such as Malaya and Federation of Malaya, which are becoming increasingly unfamiliar to the younger generation,' he said. With more than a decade of experience in geostrategic analysis, Azmi is a well-known figure across various media platforms, frequently offering academic perspectives on both local and international geopolitical matters. According to the book's publisher, PTS Publishing House, Diplomasia is a compilation of current issues that explores Malaysia's soft power on the world stage, including behind-the-scenes insights into the current political landscape. 'The book aims to open readers' eyes to Malaysia's wisdom in negotiation and its principled courage, even when dealing with competing global powers,' it said in a statement. Among the topics covered in Diplomasia are the Sabah claim, tensions in the South China Sea, Malaysia-Singapore relations, and Malaysia's position in the MH17 tragedy.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
ACV 2045 holds potential to boost respect for ASEAN as a strong bloc
KUALA LUMPUR: The ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045, adopted at the 46th ASEAN Summit on Monday through the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, has the potential to make the bloc -- with its nearly 700 million population -- more respected, especially by organisations in the West. Geostrategist and senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research (NASR) Prof Dr Azmi Hassan said that ACV 2045 is based on two key concepts -- neutrality and centrality -- which will strengthen ASEAN as it advances to become the world's fourth-largest economy by 2030. 'ASEAN is becoming more central, involved in international affairs, while remaining neutral -- not partial toward the United States (US), China, or Russia -- even as the major powers vie to have a greater influence, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. 'Malaysia, as the current ASEAN Chair, wants to ensure that the people of ASEAN feel proud to be part of the bloc, just like how people in the European Union (EU) feel. I believe ACV 2045 can be achieved within the next 20 years,' he told Bernama when contacted. Azmi, who is also a National Council of Professors (MPN) fellow, said ACV 2045 -- a continuation of ACV 2025 that was launched when Malaysia last chaired ASEAN a decade ago -- could resolve not only internal issues such as the Myanmar conflict and the South China Sea dispute, but be used as a guide in dealing with international issues such as the India-Pakistan conflict, Gaza crisis, and the Ukraine war. Meanwhile, MPN chairman Distinguished Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin opined that ACV 2045 is 'more optimistic' despite the presence of longstanding challenges from within and outside the ASEAN region. He said that internally, ASEAN faces the challenge of finding a harmonious solution for what seems like a never-ending problem, namely the Myanmar issue. 'The external challenge is economic in nature, vis-a-vis the threat of the United States (US) tariffs, which ASEAN can confront together by finding economic partners besides the US from all parts of the world. 'Socio-culturally, ASEAN countries have to build a resilient cooperative network, people-to-people, people-centred community, and encourage intra-ASEAN travels and visits,' he said. Commenting on the challenges expected in realising ACV 2045, Dr Nor Aishah Hanifa, an expert in international relations, defense, and security, said that globalisation, changes in the international system, and uncertainty require innovative responses to safeguard the security of ASEAN and its peoples. 'Various challenges are being faced, such as peace and security issues in the Indo-Pacific region due to power struggles, global digitalisation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, trade protectionism and sanctions, food, energy and water security, poverty, natural disasters, climate change, and the pandemic. 'This declaration clearly outlines ASEAN's direction and reflects the grouping's maturity in facing global challenges and uncertainties. External relations are also conducted with diplomacy. ASEAN is increasingly seen as vital for the maintenance of security in the region,' she said. Nor Aishah said that under Malaysia's chairmanship and with the key role played by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, ASEAN is poised to gain more respect as a strong regional bloc. 'ASEAN's voice is recognised globally, with the (recent) visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping demonstrating ASEAN's success in bringing major powers and other countries together regardless of ideology for the sake of shared stability and progress,' she added. Meanwhile, Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) director Prof Dr Sufian Jusoh said that the main challenge is to explain the essence of the new vision to the ASEAN community. 'First, you have to explain to the people, because it is people-centred -- need to explain how they're going to benefit and how to implement. That's the most important,' he said. The ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future is a compendium of six core documents, include the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, ACV 2045, and strategic plans for each ASEAN pillar -- political-security, economic, socio-cultural, and connectivity. This new vision for ASEAN sets out 33 strategic goals with 531 concrete measures.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
ASEAN 2045 Vision: Stronger bloc, global respect
KUALA LUMPUR: The ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045, adopted at the 46th ASEAN Summit on Monday through the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, has the potential to make the bloc -- with its nearly 700 million population -- more respected, especially by organisations in the West. Geostrategist and senior fellow at the Nusantara Academy of Strategic Research (NASR) Prof Dr Azmi Hassan said that ACV 2045 is based on two key concepts -- neutrality and centrality -- which will strengthen ASEAN as it advances to become the world's fourth-largest economy by 2030. 'ASEAN is becoming more central, involved in international affairs, while remaining neutral -- not partial toward the United States (US), China, or Russia -- even as the major powers vie to have a greater influence, especially in the Indo-Pacific region. 'Malaysia, as the current ASEAN Chair, wants to ensure that the people of ASEAN feel proud to be part of the bloc, just like how people in the European Union (EU) feel. I believe ACV 2045 can be achieved within the next 20 years,' he told Bernama when contacted. Azmi, who is also a National Council of Professors (MPN) fellow, said ACV 2045 -- a continuation of ACV 2025 that was launched when Malaysia last chaired ASEAN a decade ago -- could resolve not only internal issues such as the Myanmar conflict and the South China Sea dispute, but be used as a guide in dealing with international issues such as the India-Pakistan conflict, Gaza crisis, and the Ukraine war. Meanwhile, MPN chairman Distinguished Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin opined that ACV 2045 is 'more optimistic' despite the presence of longstanding challenges from within and outside the ASEAN region. He said that internally, ASEAN faces the challenge of finding a harmonious solution for what seems like a never-ending problem, namely the Myanmar issue. 'The external challenge is economic in nature, vis-a-vis the threat of the United States (US) tariffs, which ASEAN can confront together by finding economic partners besides the US from all parts of the world. 'Socio-culturally, ASEAN countries have to build a resilient cooperative network, people-to-people, people-centred community, and encourage intra-ASEAN travels and visits,' he said. Commenting on the challenges expected in realising ACV 2045, Dr Nor Aishah Hanifa, an expert in international relations, defense, and security, said that globalisation, changes in the international system, and uncertainty require innovative responses to safeguard the security of ASEAN and its peoples. 'Various challenges are being faced, such as peace and security issues in the Indo-Pacific region due to power struggles, global digitalisation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, trade protectionism and sanctions, food, energy and water security, poverty, natural disasters, climate change, and the pandemic. 'This declaration clearly outlines ASEAN's direction and reflects the grouping's maturity in facing global challenges and uncertainties. External relations are also conducted with diplomacy. ASEAN is increasingly seen as vital for the maintenance of security in the region,' she said. Nor Aishah said that under Malaysia's chairmanship and with the key role played by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, ASEAN is poised to gain more respect as a strong regional bloc. 'ASEAN's voice is recognised globally, with the (recent) visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping demonstrating ASEAN's success in bringing major powers and other countries together regardless of ideology for the sake of shared stability and progress,' she added. Meanwhile, Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS) director Prof Dr Sufian Jusoh said that the main challenge is to explain the essence of the new vision to the ASEAN community. 'First, you have to explain to the people, because it is people-centred -- need to explain how they're going to benefit and how to implement. That's the most important,' he said. The ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future is a compendium of six core documents, include the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, ACV 2045, and strategic plans for each ASEAN pillar -- political-security, economic, socio-cultural, and connectivity. This new vision for ASEAN sets out 33 strategic goals with 531 concrete measures.
