KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — Malaysia will facilitate Asean’s efforts to enhance dialogue and strategic partnerships with Australia, as it prepares to become Asean chair next year.
This is as both countries share a strong historic bond and mutual interests amid the geopolitical landscape.
Australia’s University of Tasmania pro-vice-chancellor Prof Nicholas Farrelly expressed optimism about Malaysia’s potential to influence regional cooperation, citing the long-standing, resilient relationship between Malaysia and Australia.
Relations between Malaysia and Australia predate Malaya’s 1957 independence and Malaysia’s 1963 formation.
Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship next year coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Australia.
Australia became Asean’s first dialogue partner in 1974. The relationship was upgraded to strategic partnership in 2014 and later to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2021.
“It helps that Malaysia and Australia have been working together very closely now and for even longer than the relationship between Australia and Asean,” Farrelly told Bernama recently.
Canberra in recent years has shown great commitment to bolstering relations with Asean via various initiatives, particularly in trade and investment, such as Australia’s Southeast Asia Strategy to 2040 launched last year, to set out a practical pathway to increase Australia’s two-way trade and investment with the bloc.
At a special summit marking their 50th anniversary of dialogue partnership in Melbourne in March this year, the Australian government announced its A$2 billion (RM6.3 billion) Southeast Asia Investing Financing Facility to boost business engagement in the region.
Farrelly said that in the next 50 years, there would be more opportunities than challenges for Asean and Australia.
“I know on Australia’s side, there is a big appetite for offering input and relevant support for Asean.
“As Malaysia takes on the responsibility of the Asean chair at this significant moment of opportunity and challenge, I expect there will be more high-level exchanges and dialogue among community leaders of both sides to drive forward this conversation and inclusive engagements,” he said.
Universiti Malaya’s Asia-Europe Institute deputy executive director Assoc Prof Roy Anthony Rogers said the Asean-Australia relationship, shaped against a historic tapestry of security cooperation, remains pivotal for future cooperation.
“Australia and Asean need each other to cooperate in strategic and security areas.
“Based on experience during WWII, Australia considers Southeast Asia an extremely important region, serving as a (security) buffer for Australia from imminent threat or incidental threat towards Australia,” he noted.
He stressed the increasing importance of enhancing collaboration to address non-traditional security threats such as cybercrime, climate change, pandemics, transnational crimes, drugs, and human trafficking.
— Bernama
