February 19, 2024
KUALA LUMPUR – IT was a brief but memorable event: a five minute presentation of the breathtaking sight of bright spiral lights and colours, with dancers and percussionists performing on stage to launch the Asean Community – a landmark achievement for a group which started with just five founding members in 1967.
The Asean Community launch took place in Kuala Lumpur in 2015, the year Malaysia was the Asean Chair. Witnessed by leaders from Asean and their dialogue partners – Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and Russia – and even United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki Moon, then prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak declared that the community was not just about the economy.
“It is also about recognising the special ties that bind the people and about making our citizens feel that Asean courses through their veins. That is what will make our community a reality. That is what will reward the efforts and contributions of previous leaders and peoples of Asean, without whose help we would not have reached this historic milestone,” said Najib.
In 2015, Asean leaders perceived the Asean Community as “politically cohesive, economically integrated and socially responsible” to face future challenges and opportunities.
The 10-year vision will expire next year, so what is next in the next decade? The high-level task force on Asean Community post 2025 (comprising eminent persons from the region) has been holding meetings on the future of the community not just for the next 10 years but it will now be for 20 years!
Asean leaders during their summit in Indonesia last year agreed the task force would develop a visionary, inspirational, robust, comprehensive, inclusive, and forward-looking Asean Community Post-2025 Vision, to address current and future challenges and trends inside and beyond the region within a 20-year timeframe.
The Asean Community Vision 2045 (ACV 2045) consists of five issue clusters, namely the Asean Political Security Community (APSC), Asean Economic Community (AEC), Asean Social Cultural Community (ASCC), Asean Connectivity, and Institutional Strengthening.
It is not Asean if its statements are not full of jargon, making it difficult for the man in the street to comprehend. What does it all mean, actually?
Well, basically, Asean is now looking at various megatrends which have an impact on a global scale. It is about the need for the group to be forward- and outward-looking. Among the megatrends being looked are increased protectionism, digital technologies, UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate change.
In the 1990s, Asean grew into 10 countries with the addition of its least developed countries, namely, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Look at these countries more than two decades later, especially Vietnam which is outperforming some of the founding nations economically.
Asean secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn said Asean is forecast to be the world’s fourth largest economy by 2030 as its combined gross domestic product (GDP) value has already reached trillions of dollars with a population of over 670 million people.
“This makes Asean the third largest economy in Asia and the fifth largest in the world,” he said last year.
Some eminent members felt that the vision should be on a longer time frame with a view that Asean’s future should not only continue to be peaceful and stable but also future-ready economically. No one can deny the region still has a lot to realise in achieving its full potential to make the grouping more vibrant and dynamic.
Consider this. None of its members is at war, the region is relatively peaceful. Yes, Myanmar remains a thorn its with human rights violations. How long will the conflict last? No one can predict and Asean is still trying to get the military junta to adhere to its five-point consensus to end the violence.
Of course, another issue is the South China Sea which remains a hot one, but so far Asean and China are managing to keep peace in the disputed area. Adding to this is the fact that the group has managed to maintain good relations with both Beijing and Washington.
Amid these issues, Asean still needs to move on with the various challenges and opportunities available. Asean would be well placed if it gets things right from the very beginning.
Malaysia is serious about its Asean chairmanship in 2025. Last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim chaired a meeting to launch the Asean-Malaysia 2025 chairmanship and he will be attending periodic preparation meetings.
Three main clusters were established: the political, defence, and citizenship cluster under the Foreign Ministry; the economic and trade cluster under the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry; and the cultural and social cluster under the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Ministry.
In less than one year, Laos will hand over the Asean Chair baton to Malaysia. It is no easy task to come up with a 20-year vision for a region within a grouping that was once dismissed by many as nothing but a talk shop. Hopefully the momentum to take Asean to the next level under Malaysia’s chairmanship will go full speed ahead instead of just being many gatherings of officials in suits.