Titled “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, Malaysia’s theme is as simple as it is symbolic. By opting to underscore its chairmanship with values rather than the typical slogans, it reflects the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim administration’s style of principles-driven leadership: forceful and robust, substantive and persuasive.
As with the Madani values domestically, this opting of substance over style and function over form suggests that Asean’s activities over the next year will be imbued with the values of inclusivity and sustainability.
This comes at a milestone in Asean’s development.
Politically, inclusivity strikes at the heart of the Myanmar issue and Timor-Leste’s formalisation as the 11th member — raising broader questions about the extent and limit of what it means to be inclusive and, logically flowing from that, what it means to be a member of an organisation, which may be better described as a “political and economic union” comprising some of the fastest growing economies in the world.
Calling it merely “intergovernmental” just won’t cut it. Vital statistics would include a population of more than 685 million, a purchasing power parity gross domestic product (GDP) of around US$11.4 trillion in 2023, making up 6.2% of the global total.
Wealth for all
Economically, inclusivity can also mean ensuring that all Asean member states are able to participate meaningfully in economic development, regional trade and technological adoption, regardless of starting points. Work on this trifecta started with the Asean Digital Economic Framework Agreement and this spirit of cooperation can be expanded to areas such as artificial intelligence adoption.
That notwithstanding, economic inclusivity could also mean greater emphasis on capacity building and technical cooperation to narrow capability gaps between member states.
In trading terms, there is room to grow intra-Asean trade which has plateaued at about 23% to 25% of total trade over the past two decades. Against the backdrop of an increasingly fractured global environment with zero-sum competition, exacerbated by the vagaries of arbitrary and unilateral actions (read sanctions) imposed by geopolitical behemoths, it stands to reason that trading more with each other can unlock better resilience.
Beyond these, inclusivity also denotes a focus on the many over the few, ensuring that costly lessons learned from the West over the past decade are not repeated in this corner of the world. While isolationism, all or nothing competition and deglobalisation have yet to rear their ugly heads in Southeast Asia, they are, nonetheless, risks that cannot be ignored lest they pull at the threads of discontent in the region.
Put simply, as Asean fast approaches its sixth decade of existence, it must prove to its citizens that they are better served being part of the regional organisation than without. Or in other words, the benefits of Asean regionalisation must go beyond capitalists and political elites to win the hearts and minds of underserved communities.
Tapping energy resources
The second value that makes up Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship theme is sustainability. While it might be de rigueur for sustainability to be mentioned in every other conversation today, the emphasis and prioritisation of this value reflects a strategic necessity.
Asean’s large and growing population — one of the sources of its vast economic strength and potential — lends itself to increasing urbanisation, deforestation and consumption of food, energy and water. Without intervention, meeting these demands could come at the expense of the environment and biodiversity. With Asean home to 20% of all known species in the world, it is self-evident why development must be sustainable in this region.
Mitigation efforts will be important and the silver lining is Asean’s immense potential to tap cleaner energy sources for its development. The International Renewable Energy Agency, for example, estimates that Asean has about 17,000gw of untapped renewable energy capacity, 160 times the size of existing deployment. But don’t speak too soon.
Realising this potential is neither automatic nor a given, and more effort must be made to integrate and connect cross-border grids and the sharing of resources. Further, the proliferation of data centres in the region takes a heavy toll on energy and water consumption.
The trade-off between the pursuit of artificial intelligence and related technological advancement, on the one hand, and environmental impact on the other must be effectively managed under a green road map. Done well, Asean could very well literally be the regional powerhouse to lead the way towards collective decarbonisation.
At the same time, adaptation will be equally important, being crucial in the sustainability discourse, as a function of nature’s propensity to respond to change, such as climate and environmental fluxes along with the diversity of animal and plant life. Adaptation builds resilience and is essential in building long-term sustainability.
Turning talk into action
Asean is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change impacts and it is already experiencing a rise in average and extreme temperatures and extreme weather events, such as floods, typhoons and droughts. Some estimate that the effects of climate change are already costing the region 3.3% of its annual GDP, on top of the incalculable costs to human security.
The challenge for the Asean chair, thus, would be how it could generate the discourse towards finding solutions in food security, sustainable and technologically advanced practices in agriculture, flood mitigation and other fundamental aspects that contribute to a sustainable ecosystem, not the least being resolving the concerns impacting on the weak and the marginalised segments of the population.
Apart from the climate, environment and energy, sustainability can also be viewed through the lens of Asean’s political and diplomatic processes. The cacophony of voices questioning the resiliency of Asean’s multilateral mechanisms has only grown louder in recent years on the back of the Myanmar crisis and South China Sea disputes.
Tackling headlong the question, genuine conversations and honest assessments must be made on how sustainable this status quo is and, more importantly, how can Asean move forward as a collective and cohesive bloc. And here it bears repeating that while Asean centrality is a great sound bite, it would ring rather hollow bereft of unity and cohesion manifested not merely in words but in action.
In conclusion, Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship, with its theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” comes at a key moment for the region. The emphasis on these two values reflects the need for equitability in the face of political, economic and environmental challenges. At the end of the day, it is worth remembering that themes come and go with the annual Asean chair, but what is remembered is how successful it was in turning principles into tangible benefits for all Asean citizens.