KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim conveyed his special thanks to Malaysians for their warmth and resilience in making the country's tenure as Asean chair a success.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits, he said Malaysians' spirit of service reflected the nation's true character, despite a year marked by global uncertainty.
"I wish to thank the people of Malaysia for their patience and generosity throughout this demanding year. You welcomed our guests with warmth, adapted to every disruption, and reminded the region that hospitality is not just our custom but our character.
"From the airport to the police on ground duty, duty became service, and service became a love of the country. In the eyes of the world, you have shown the best of Malaysia," Anwar said during the ceremony at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.
He added that constancy and reason must guide Asean through regional challenges.
While crises persist, Asean leaders must continue their commitment to sustainable development and thereby improve the lives of millions of people within the bloc.
“We recognise that no chairmanship, not even a generation, can right every wrong. Some crises will persist, and some lives remain shadowed by fear and want.
“Yet history seldom leaps. It bends slowly through the will, labour, and sheer stubbornness of those who refuse to despair.
"In today's world, where constancy is a rare virtue, we must be governed by reason, to be steadfast amid the stirrings and frenzies of the hour. That must be Asean's way if we are to endure,” Anwar said.
As this year's chair, he noted that the summit reaffirmed Asean's ability to maintain dialogue and cooperation despite persistent crises and global trade rivalries.
"We revived dialogues, built new bridges, and proved that Asean's machinery, when guided by patience and reason, still works,” Anwar said.
The Prime Minister then officially handed over the Asean chairmanship to the Philippines, whose tenure begins on January 1, expressing confidence in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's leadership.
"I have every confidence that under your steady hand, Asean will continue to act with clarity, composure, and that warmth for which the Filipino people are known," he said.
The summit, held from Sunday (October 26) to today, drew global leaders including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, United States President Donald Trump, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
Others in attendance included New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Ovarchuk, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, European Union President António Costa, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
International Labour Organisation director-general Gilbert F. Houngbo and the International Federation of Association Football’s (Fifa) President Gianni Infantino were also among the notable attendees.
