REMARKS OF YAB PRIME MINISTER AT THE HANDING OVER CEREMONY OF THE ASEAN CHAIRMANSHIP
11 OCTOBER 2024

Your Excellency Sonexay Siphandone
Prime Minister of Lao PDR,

Your Majesty, Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me begin by congratulating the Lao People’s Democratic Republic on their ASEAN Chairmanship in 2024.

I thank them for their splendid stewardship and unwavering commitment, and I look forward to their support, and also from the Secretary General of ASEAN, ASEAN secretariat and most important from our most senior and outstanding leader, His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei.

Your Majesty, Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The year 2025 will be a momentous chapter for ASEAN, rich with significance and promise. We will mark the 10th anniversary of the ASEAN Community’s founding, a milestone in our collective journey.

And with it, we will embrace a new landmark – the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 – charting the course for our shared future for the next two decades.

Malaysia has chosen the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability.” It reflects our aspiration for truly shared progress, ensuring that no one is left behind. It conveys our hope that the steps we take today will endure in the long run. It underscores our determination to keep the future firmly in sight as we move forward.

At all times our actions and decisions will be guided by the principle of consensus. Together, we will reaffirm our commitment to building an open, inclusive and rules-based regional architecture.

Your Majesty, Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

ASEAN’s journey began nearly six decades ago, inspired by a vision of peace, stability and prosperity. Today, ASEAN stands strong, ready to embrace the future with confidence. The future of ASEAN must include Timor-Leste, whose inclusion will expand our region’s economy and contribute to fulfilling our grand vision.

As we strengthen the region internally, we will continue to explore and broaden our economic partnerships beyond our borders. The convening of the ASEAN-GCC + China Summit in 2025 will achieve exactly this.

Above all, ASEAN will be unflinching in safeguarding Southeast Asia as a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

On behalf of the Government and people of Malaysia, I look forward to welcoming you all. Selamat datang ke Malaysia.

Terima kasih.
Khab jai.
Thank you.