How Asean regains its place on the global stage

By ensuring stability at home, prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has refocused the Southeast Asian bloc as a platform for serious discussion over symbolic gestures.

Malaysia in 2026 is no longer seen merely as a participant in Asean affairs. It is increasingly recognised as one of the bloc’s principal agenda-setters at a time when the international order is fragmenting and regional institutions are under strain.

At the centre of this repositioning stands Anwar Ibrahim, whose stewardship of Asean in 2025 marked a decisive shift in how Southeast Asia engages the wider world. His leadership did not rely on spectacle or unilateralism. Instead, it restored Asean’s confidence in its own diplomatic weight.

What distinguishes Anwar’s approach is the way domestic coherence was deliberately converted into regional leverage.

The result was a chairmanship that elevated Asean’s relevance without forcing alignment, confrontation, or institutional overreach.

This achievement can be understood through Anwar’s 4Cs — Currency credibility, Coalition discipline, Corruption crackdown, and Capable Asean Chairmanship — with the fourth “C” being the most consequential for Southeast Asia as a whole.

As Asean Chair in 2025, Anwar refocused the bloc on what it does best: convening, bridging, and stabilising.

At a time when global diplomacy was increasingly polarised, Asean under Malaysia resisted the temptation to become reactive or factional.

Instead, Asean meetings were elevated in both tone and participation.

Dialogue partners engaged at higher political levels. Asean-centric platforms regained their function as venues for serious discussion rather than symbolic attendance.

This was not accidental. It reflected careful agenda-setting by the Chair — prioritising continuity, inclusivity, and strategic patience over headline-grabbing initiatives.

Anwar’s Asean leadership was marked by restraint. Rather than positioning Asean as an alternative pole of power, he positioned it as an indispensable connector.

This mattered in an era where great powers increasingly sought regional buy-in without offering institutional respect.

Under Malaysia’s stewardship, Asean was neither sidelined nor weaponised.

It was re-centred.

Crucially, Anwar avoided the trap of equating leadership with dominance. His chairmanship worked through consultation, not coercion.

This restored trust among member states and reinforced Asean’s internal cohesion at a moment when centrifugal pressures were evident across the global system.

This leadership style left behind habits rather than declarations. That is why Asean’s diplomatic rhythm in 2026 continues to reflect the tone set during Malaysia’s term.

The current Asean Chair has consciously sought continuity, not rupture — consulting prior experiences rather than reinventing processes. That is a mark of successful leadership. Effective Chairs shape behaviour beyond their tenure.

The other Cs mattered because they made this leadership possible.

Currency credibility ensured that Malaysia spoke for Asean from a position of economic steadiness rather than vulnerability.

A stable ringgit strengthened confidence among dialogue partners and investors attending Asean platforms.

It also reinforced Asean’s message that Southeast Asia remains open, predictable, and commercially viable despite global uncertainty.

Coalition discipline ensured policy continuity. Asean leadership requires bandwidth.

Governments consumed by domestic turbulence cannot sustain regional diplomacy. Malaysia’s ability to maintain a functioning coalition allowed Anwar to focus outward — hosting, mediating, and convening — without being distracted by daily political firefighting.

Corruption crackdown reinforced Asean’s institutional credibility. While anti-corruption is often framed domestically, its regional impact is real.

By demonstrating enforcement without destabilisation, Malaysia projected governance seriousness at Asean forums where transparency, supply chains, and regulatory trust increasingly dominate discussions.

Together, these Cs allowed Anwar to lead Asean not as a passive coordinator, but as a confident facilitator of regional relevance.

The most enduring contribution of Malaysia’s Chairmanship was the restoration of Asean’s diplomatic centrality at a time when many questioned its relevance. Rather than overstating Asean’s role, Anwar allowed its utility to speak for itself.

Asean under Malaysia became a place where difficult conversations could still occur — quietly, constructively, and without performative alignment. In an era of megaphone diplomacy elsewhere, this restraint became a strategic asset.

This approach resonated beyond Southeast Asia. External partners increasingly treated Asean not as a procedural requirement, but as a serious interlocutor.

Engagement shifted from form to substance.

Anwar’s leadership also reaffirmed a core Asean principle often overlooked: neutrality is not passivity.

It is a form of agency. By refusing to be drawn into binary choices, Asean preserved room for manoeuvre — and relevance.

This matters going forward.

As global fragmentation accelerates, regions that can still host dialogue will command disproportionate influence.

Asean, under Malaysia’s guidance, demonstrated that it can still perform this role.

In this sense, Anwar’s Asean Chairmanship was not merely competent. It was timely.

The domestic foundations that enabled this leadership — economic stability, coalition discipline, and institutional reform — should be understood not as ends in themselves, but as tools of statecraft.

They allowed Malaysia to act outwardly when others were forced inward.

Looking ahead, the implications are significant.

Asean’s credibility in 2026 owes much to the tone set in 2025. Malaysia has shown that leadership in Southeast Asia does not require size, force, or alignment — but coherence, patience, and trust.

This is why the 4Cs should be understood primarily as instruments of regional leadership rather than domestic achievement.

If they continue to hold, Malaysia will remain well placed not only to manage its own affairs, but to shape Asean’s role in an increasingly unstable world.

In 2026, Anwar Ibrahim has demonstrated that effective leadership in Asean is less about commanding attention and more about commanding confidence. That, ultimately, is how Asean was repositioned on the global stage. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.