1 week Ago By Hakim Mahari
KUALA LUMPUR: Asean, as an economic bloc, must intensify efforts to strengthen intra-regional trade and economic cooperation, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.He emphasised that the region should stop lamenting global challenges beyond its control and instead focus on what it can collectively achieve from within."I am not denying that, at times, we may face minor issues here and there — but never to the extent of deep distrust, discord, or enmity.
"We need to do more — we must enhance trade and advance investments. Asean must build its comparative advantage," he said.He made these remarks during the closing of the 12th Asean Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors' Meeting, which he chaired today.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said he acknowledged that each Asean member state had its concerns and issues regarding the implementation of the Trump-era tariffs.However, he was pleased that the member countries had reached a consensus to enhance regional cooperation.He said this demonstrated that Asean was unlike other blocs, where achieving consensus on shared issues could be difficult.
In contrast, he said, Asean had for decades successfully managed differences through mutual understanding."There is no point in constantly lamenting problems that are hard to resolve. Issues with the US are not easy to address, but through intra-Asean trade, customs initiatives, and investment, we can manage — and I believe we need to move faster on this front," he said.
Anwar added that Asean's strength lies not only in monetary or economic terms but also in the cultural vibrancy of each member country."When I wrote The Asian Renaissance 25 years ago, I emphasised that we must take pride in driving Asean forward as an emerging economic power."But this is not solely about economic empowerment — it is also about the spirit of cultural empowerment," he said.
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