KUALA LUMPUR: New major power dynamics under Donald Trump's administration and the call for a new world order by middle powers and other regions in line with the Global South, is something Asean must continuously take stock of.
In saying this, Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said Malaysia needs to continue being active, outspoken and principled on geopolitical and economic issues during its Asean chairmanship.
The government and by extension his ministry, will continue to take a strong stand on promoting a rules-based world order, Tengku Zafrul added.
"Resolving Asean's issues must be a team sport," he said when sharing on how
Malaysia will navigate the course for Asean during its chairmanship this year.
Speaking at the Asean Economic Opinion Leaders Conference 2025 here today, Tengku Zafrul said there is always the expectation that the chair may need to 'liberate' Asean from its ongoing existential crisis by swiftly addressing issues that have become thorns in Asean's side.
These include Myanmar and the South China Sea.
"But resolving all these requires the consensus of all member states –particularly the economically stronger ones with more global political currency – to pull their weight for the resolution of such issues.
"The Chair leads, yes, but the onus shouldn't be on the Chair, alone. This is particularly important because given the scale of changes regionally and globally, it will take time for intra-Asean dynamics to pave the way for stronger consensus."
Tengku Zafrul said while it remains to be seen how BRICS will serve as a counterweight to Western hegemony, the fact that several Asean member states are warming up to its membership or partnership is a development that all member states need to account for.
Apart from Malaysia, Indonesia (now a full member), Vietnam and Thailand, how other Asean countries weigh the membership/partnership benefits of BRICS will likely have a bearing on Asean's future economic growth and resiliency.
On whether closer ties between BRICS and Asean could be mutually beneficial to both blocs, he said some may argue that BRICS lacks the cohesion necessary for long-term stability without a unifying force.
However, Asean's 50-year track record is a real-time case study of how political and economic diversity can coexist while fostering peace and prosperity.
"So, having more Asean countries join BRICS could help scale Asean's positive experience beyond Southeast Asia."
Tengku Zafrul said Asean has never faced a more challenging landscape.
In many ways, by getting through these tough issues successfully in 2025, Malaysia can set a refreshed Asean tone and spirit for the coming years.
He believes Malaysia's real contribution is in laying the groundwork for a more cohesive, forward-looking Asean, with resilient mechanisms to help it potentially become the world's production hub and one of Asean's most vibrant markets with the region's 680-million strong population.
"We want to champion initiatives such as developing Asean as a regional EV hub as well as initiating regional cooperation on energy, minerals and semiconductors," he said