KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will diversify the venues for all Asean meetings across the country, not solely in Kuala Lumpur, when it assumes the Asean chairmanship in 2025, says Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.
He said that a total of 257 high-level meetings involving Asean leaders, ministers, and officials were scheduled for next year.
These meetings will encompass leaders' summits, ministerial sessions, and official-level discussions.
"We have set up a steering committee chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and involving all ministries to prepare extensively for assuming the Asean chairmanship role," Mohamad said during the Dewan Rakyat's minister's question time.
"As of June, we have identified locations nationwide, including Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Melaka, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Langkawi, and other sites to host these meetings," he said.
Responding to a query by Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari (PH-Gombak) on Malaysia's preparations and objectives as Asean chair, Mohamad said dialogues with Asean partners alongside the official meetings would be planned.
"Beyond the Asean meetings, there will be dialogues involving 11 main partner countries and numerous other events," he said.
Previously, Anwar said Malaysia would attempt to breathe new life into Asean-led forums to achieve "something of consequence" once it assumes the chairman role next year.
Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said that for Malaysia, the forums included the East Asia Summit, the Asean Regional Forum and the Asean Defence Minister's Meeting (ADMM)-Plus.