By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, Dec 24 — Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari believes Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship next year presents a golden opportunity for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to showcase his leadership and promote unity among member countries.
He said this during Media Selangor’s Sembang Malam talk show last night, in response to a question from moderator, veteran journalist Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar, whether he anticipates a healthy competition between Anwar and newly inaugurated Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
Amirudin said both seasoned politicians exhibit exceptional leadership qualities in steering their respective nations, distinguishing them from their peers.
“I see this as a competition that could transform the Asean paradigm, and it is a healthy competition,” he said.
[caption id="attachment_384118" align="aligncenter" width="1110"]
The official logo of Asean Malaysia 2025 seen in this undated photo. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
Amirudin pointed out that Anwar also enjoys greater recognition and acceptance in Indonesia, compared with that of past Malaysian Prime Ministers.
He also stressed the importance of Malaysia’s active engagement with Asean, noting that the country’s level of interest in the bloc is currently lower compared to nations like Indonesia.
“In Indonesia, a deeper understanding and stronger focus on Asean have resulted in greater public engagement with the region,” he said.
He expressed hope Anwar would inspire a stronger sense of Asean solidarity among member nations.
“If Anwar can instill the spirit of Asean unity among member nations, it will be a significant achievement, even though it is a challenging goal to accomplish in just one year.
“But if he succeeds, it would be excellent,” he said.
Malaysia is set to take over as Asean chair in January, in a pivotal moment.
The Asean economic and policy bloc, comprising 10 Southeast Asian countries, stands as the world’s fifth-largest economy, with the total gross domestic product at RM3.8 trillion in 2023 and a combined population of 677 million.
