Saifuddin: No change in policy towards Asean

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia under the new Pakatan Harapan government has no change of policy towards Asean and will continue to play a role in strengthening the regional body, said Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

He said the Asean Community was a priority agenda of the new government under the leadership of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to build a stronger Asean.

Malaysia would continue to play a role in the Asean Community that was established in 2015 to strengthen economic cooperation and build a safe and peaceful region, he said at a press conference after a flag-raising ceremony in conjunction with the 51st Asean Day at Wisma Putra.

“In terms of Malaysia’s foreign policy, the Asean agenda is given priority. As such, there is no change of policy towards Asean. In fact, we want to play a proactive role in Asean.

“We want the meaning of the Asean Community to be implemented in the real sense,” he said.

Saifuddin said the perception that Asean was an elite club comprising the heads of governments, ministers, envoys and big businesses should be erased from the minds of the Asean citizens.

“Our challenge is to end that perception and make Asean peoplecentred and for the Asean concept to be felt by the over 630 million people of this region,” he said.

Saifuddin said that as the new foreign minister, he would strengthen relations with the Asean envoys in Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama