PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia's national flower the hibiscus, locally known as the 'bunga raya', has been selected as the main motif of the logo for the country's chairmanship of Asean next year.
The logo was created by Muhamad Khalis Syafiq Mohamad Nasir, who won the Asean design logo contest held earlier this year.
Bearing the theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability', the logo, unveiled by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, also features six Malaysia Madani core values in its design.
Mohamad said the hibiscus was chosen as it is Malaysia's national flower and is also commonly found in all Asean countries.
The four colours - blue, red, yellow and white - represent the main colours of the flags of all Asean countries, he said.
He said the logo also reflects the subtle yet unified traits of Asean countries, in line with the theme 'Inclusivity and Sustainability'.
The inward curve of the five petals embracing the Asean logo, meanwhile, reflects inclusivity, reinforcing Malaysia's vision for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Asean.
"The six core values of Malaysia Madani, namely, Sustainability, Care and Compassion, Respect, Innovation, Prosperity and Trust are depicted by the six points of the stigma of the flower.
"These values serve as the foundation of Malaysia's vision as the chair of Asean," said Mohamad at the logo's launch at Wisma Putra here today.
Earlier in his speech, Mohamad said Asean's nuanced and pragmatic approach to managing geopolitical competition between major powers is increasingly seen as a model for the rest of the developing world.
"Asean's commitment to neutrality, dialogue, and regional cooperation, has kept Southeast Asia stable amid external rivalries," he said
He cited the example of Asean's trade with China, which stood at US$696.7 billion in 2023, which reflected China's status as Asean's largest trading partner since 2009.
"At the same time, Asean's trade with the United States was valued at US$395.9 billion," he said.
Mohamad said a balanced diplomatic approach has generated significant growth in foreign direct investment for Asean.
"Last year, we drew US$229.8 billion in FDI, with China and the US being the main contributors.
"These investments are crucial towards spurring job creation, technology transfer and infrastructure development throughout the region," he said.
Mohamad said plans are also in place to adopt the Asean Community Vision 2045 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the formal establishment of the Asean Community.
Mohamad said the framework would chart Asean's strategic direction for the next 20 years.
"I have always believed that, as a community, we have not only withstood but prevailed over many of our shared obstacles together through the decades.
"We have achieved this the Asean way."