With the global order unraveling, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim urged Asean to stay the course, upholding its centrality and sense of moral clarity.
Anwar said the bloc must remain South-East Asia’s anchor for diplomacy and dialogue.
00:00ASEAN's centrality must be our North Star, as reflected by the continuous strengthening and innovation of ASEAN-led institutions.
00:13We must remain the region's primary anchor for dialogue, in as much as our dialogue partners must continue to find value in engaging with us.
00:23Now, this meeting takes place amid the unravelling of assumptions where power unsettles principle and calm can no longer be taken for granted.
00:34The global orders fraying, conflict, coercion, mistrust now define too many relationships.
00:42And countless lives are being lost or overturned in their wake.
00:47In Gaza and Palestine, we witness the unrelenting suffering of an entire people, denied dignity and justice across generations.
00:59In Ukraine, war grinds on.
01:02Across parts of Africa, violence continues to displace and devastate.
01:07And in Myanmar, regrettably, peace remains elusive, even as suffering deepens.
01:17We are also deeply troubled by mounting tensions in the Middle East, with the actions of one state against its neighbors threatened to spark a wider regional conflagration.
01:29The risks are profound for energy security, global stability, and the integration of international law.
01:39The multilateral system cannot endure if its principles are upheld only when convenient.
01:46ASEAN must be among those who choose to stand for rules, even when others choose to retreat.
01:54Realism and values are not opposing forces.
01:59We need both to guide our choices and to defend what matters.
