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The Star
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Asean mulls special envoy
Long-term solution for Myanmar crisis eyed with proposal KUALA LUMPUR: Asean foreign ministers have agreed to explore a proposal to appoint a permanent special envoy to Myanmar, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He said the proposal did not receive any objection from his counterparts for an Asean permanent special envoy to be appointed for a three-year term. 'The candidate for the post was discussed at the senior officials meeting (SOM) level, and it will be brought to the leaders. 'The idea was well received by the respective Asean states,' the Foreign Minister told a press conference yesterday. Currently, the special envoy of the Asean Chair to Myanmar is Tan Sri Othman Hashim, who is the former human rights commission (Suhakam) chairman and former Foreign Ministry secretary-general. Mohamad said he will be heading to Naypyidaw, Myanmar, next month to meet with the military junta for further negotiations. 'I am going to talk to them further. We have to be patient, because the warring factions have been against each other for decades,' he said. Mohamad pointed out that, while member states respect the Asean policy of non-interference, the ongoing Myanmar issue has caused transnational crimes and a refugee crisis affecting neighbouring countries. 'That is why many Asean countries agreed to deal with the Myanmar issue,' he said. The Myanmar civil war, which was sparked by the coup d'etat by its military junta in February 2021, has created lawless border regions that allowed criminal syndicates to set up 'scam-parks', where foreign nationals are trafficked into the country and forced to commit online scams. On another matter, Mohamad said Timor-Leste has to double its efforts if it wants to be a full member of Asean. He said there are about 66 legal instruments that Timor-Leste has to comply with. 'We want to help them, but they have to help themselves too,' he said. He said Asean foreign ministers agreed to establish a special task force on Timor-Leste to expedite and assist it in complying with all legal instruments. Mohamad also said the adoption of the draft addendum to the Treaty on the South-East Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone marks a significant milestone in integrating Timor-Leste in Asean policies and security frameworks. 'Asean member states will now begin undertaking their respective domestic legal procedures with a view to finalising Timor-Leste's accession process by the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits in October,' he said. Mohamad also said Asean is exploring a proposal to admit Timor-Leste as a full member before it complies with all the legal instruments. 'We are contemplating a proposal to establish a timeline for them. For example, if they can fulfil the legal instruments within five years, then they can be full members. 'This is how we ensure that we align with our Asean theme this year, which is inclusivity and sustainability,' he said.
The Star
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Asean foreign ministers adopt draft addendum to facilitate Timor-Leste's membership into bloc
KUALA LUMPUR: Asean foreign ministers have considered and adopted the draft Addendum to the Treaty on the South-East Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ), signifying another concrete step in Timor-Leste's path towards full membership in the regional bloc. According to Wisma Putra, the decision was made during the Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) chaired by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan here on Sunday (May 25) ahead of the 46th Asean Summit. The ministry said the draft addendum, which had been finalised by the SEANWFZ executive committee during its meeting on April 29, 2025, provides the legal basis to enable Asean member states and Timor-Leste to undertake the necessary domestic procedures for accession. "Its adoption marks a significant step forward in Timor-Leste's integration into Asean's political and security frameworks," it said in a statement after the meeting. The meeting also adopted Guidelines to Facilitate Timor-Leste's Accession to Asean Legal Instruments and Agreements, marking continued progress towards the country's full membership in the regional bloc. Timor-Leste was granted observer status in Asean in 2022 following the 40th and 41st Asean Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and has since been taking part in meetings and capacity-building programmes in preparation for full membership. Wisma Putra stated that during the meeting, foreign ministers of Asean and Timor-Leste also reaffirmed their collective commitment to regional peace, stability, and prosperity in the face of intensifying geopolitical and economic challenges. "The discussions centred on strengthening Asean's strategic autonomy, advancing the Asean Community Vision 2045, and enhancing the region's capacity to play a proactive and constructive role in regional and global affairs," it said. The 46th Asean Summit and its related meetings, which are being held under Malaysia's 2025 chairmanship themed 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', are expected to address a wide range of pressing regional and international issues, with the ongoing crisis in Myanmar remaining a key point of concern for Asean member states. This year marks Malaysia's fifth time chairing the regional bloc, having previously held the Asean chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015. In addition to the Asean-level meetings, two important inter-regional summits – the 2nd Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the Asean-GCC-China Summit – will also take place on May 26 and 27, signalling the growing engagement between Southeast Asia and its strategic partners in the Gulf and China. – Bernama
