Defence minister Khaled Nordin says no Asean member state can tackle regional security challenges on its own.
In his opening remarks at the 20th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in the Philippines yesterday, Khaled said regional security depended on trust among member states, constructive management of differences and a shared commitment to the wider interests of the region.
He said no Asean member state, regardless of its resources, could address the challenges confronting the region entirely on its own.
“Our strength rests on the trust we build among ourselves, our willingness to manage differences constructively, and our determination to uphold the wider interests of the region,” he said in his speech at the 20th anniversary of the ADMM.
Khaled said Malaysia remained firmly committed to strengthening the ADMM, upholding Asean centrality and building a more secure and resilient regional community.
He also stressed the need for greater collective preparedness, stronger coordination and sustained investment in capabilities that deliver tangible benefits to the people.
The minister said the South China Sea remained a significant test of Asean’s unity, credibility and commitment to its founding principles, with several member states having overlapping maritime claims.
“But no dispute, however deeply rooted, should be allowed to fracture Asean or undermine the peace we have spent decades building,” he said.
Khaled also called for stronger regional disaster response capabilities, saying non-traditional threats are becoming more complex, interconnected and potentially destructive.
He cited the Asean Militaries Ready Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief as an existing mechanism for coordinating military assistance and deploying military assets to disaster-hit areas.
He said Asean must build on these foundations to improve operational readiness and ensure its armed forces can respond swiftly and effectively when disasters strike.
Khaled said ADMM had become a practical platform for defence cooperation, confidence-building and collective responses to shared security challenges.
He said the Asean passed on to future generations must be stronger, more united, better prepared for adversity and confident in its ability to determine its own future.
Asean centrality must be respected by dialogue partners
Speaking at the 13th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), Khaled also called on Asean’s dialogue partners to respect the bloc’s central role in regional security and the interests of every member state.
Khaled said Asean’s unity and centrality must remain a shared priority, particularly in its engagement with external partners.
He said the ADMM-Plus reflected Asean’s belief that engagement and cooperation, rather than exclusion and confrontation, offered the best prospects for lasting peace.
“Just as Asean respects the interests and perspectives of our Plus partners, we expect similar respect to be extended to each and every Asean member state, without exception,” he said.
Khaled said the international security environment is becoming increasingly uncertain, with strategic rivalry, geopolitical tensions and conflicts in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere testing the foundations of international peace and stability.
He said Asean must learn from these conflicts and avoid allowing similar circumstances to take root in the region.
He added that the bloc’s strength lies in its ability to manage differences through dialogue, consultation, mutual respect and consensus, guided by principles including non-interference, respect for sovereignty and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Khaled also said Malaysia is closely monitoring developments within the country and those affecting neighbouring nations, recognising that challenges confronting one Asean member state could have wider implications for the region.
He also called on all parties to exercise restraint in the South China Sea, avoid actions that could escalate tensions and resolve disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Khaled said the conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea must be expedited as it is essential in strengthening mutual confidence and preserving regional peace and stability.
“No country stands to gain from a conflict in the South China Sea,” he said.
The ADMM-Plus is a defence cooperation platform that brings together the 11 Asean member states and eight dialogue partners — Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US.
Established in 2010, it provides a forum for Asean and its partners to discuss regional security issues and develop practical cooperation in areas such as maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, counter-terrorism as well as peacekeeping operations. - FMT
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