KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia’s upcoming ASEAN chairmanship offers a pivotal opportunity to lead the region towards greater integration and resilience, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.

He said that Malaysia’s Priority Economic Deliverables (PED) will act as a catalyst, positioning ASEAN as a significant player in the global economic landscape.

“The PED is anchored on four key thrusts: enhancing trade and investment among ASEAN member states, integrating and connecting economies, fostering an inclusive and sustainable future, and preparing for the digital future.

‘Our (ASEAN) population is young and dynamic. We have a very strong, robust and diverse economic strength as well, making ASEAN a powerhouse of innovation and development.

‘Vision 2045: Age of ASEAN is about seizing the moment by promoting our neutrality, centrality as well as collective identity to pursue sustainable growth resilience for a prosperous as well as inclusive ASEAN future,’ he sa
id in his closing remarks at the ‘Vision 2045: Age of ASEAN’ conference today.

The conference, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI), the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Malaysia, and Boston Consulting Group, aimed to provide a platform for corporate leaders to connect, exchange perspectives, and explore strategic opportunities within ASEAN.

In his speech, Tengku Zafrul stressed the importance of enhancing the regional value chain to ensure that trade benefits all member states.

On climate change, he underscored the need for an equitable green transition across ASEAN, acknowledging that member states are at different stages of economic development.

‘We need to make sure that the growth that we achieve is inclusive as well as sustainable, and we need to accelerate the shift to the green economy,’ he added.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency