Can Malaysia be competent in redeeming ASEAN credibility beyond the Myanmar issue?

By – K.Z. Lu

Moemaka, May 25, 2025

Malaysia, as the 2025 ASEAN chair, faces significant challenges in leading the bloc amid the ongoing crisis in Myanmar, according to the media reports. The 46th ASEAN Summit, scheduled for May 26–27 in Kuala Lumpur, will focus on pressing issues including Myanmar's civil conflict, U.S. tariff hikes, and South China Sea disputes.

ASEAN has reached an instant of consideration for both its importance and reliability. Since February 2021, the Myanmar junta’s coup attempt, ASEAN’s activities have been shown by disapproval and responsibility in the junta’s crimes. Its ineffective ‘Five-Point Consensus’ has seemed no more than a formality, put forward a title of legitimacy for the ferocious junta while it commits disgusting atrocities against its own people.

At this time, as Malaysia prepares to host the 46th ASEAN Summit, on behalf of ASEAN, Malaysia must take responsibility for the group. It must try harder to get decisive actions intended for an unbiased and honorable position to restore a sustainable peace in challenging Myanmar. Consequently, such effort may reinstate the bloc’s reliability.

Malaysia's leadership is advocating for a more assertive ASEAN approach, potentially moving beyond the consensus-driven model to a minilateral strategy involving a coalition of concerned member states. This could include revitalizing the ASEAN Troika mechanism, comprising the current, previous, and next chairs, to coordinate a focused diplomatic response, as said by the Diplomat.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has initiated separate dialogues with Myanmar's military junta and the opposition National Unity Government (NUG), aiming to foster direct negotiations. The NUG has expressed willingness to engage, contingent on conditions like forming a democratic federal union and excluding the military from politics—demands unlikely to be accepted by the junta.(Reuters)

Malaysia has appointed former diplomat Othman Hashim as ASEAN's special envoy to Myanmar, marking the fifth such appointment since the 2021 coup. Othman has engaged with various stakeholders, including the NUG and ethnic armed organizations, to facilitate dialogue.

Despite these efforts, the junta continues to pursue elections in 2025, a move widely criticized to legitimize its rule under the illegal 2008 Constitution. ASEAN foreign ministers have emphasized that the priority should be achieving a ceasefire and restoring peace before any elections. It’s a good focus restoring peace and stability ahead of any form of election.

One important thing ASEAN should recognize is that the current turmoil taking place in Myanmar is not a civil war, but a revolution launched by the Generation-Z. The young generations are tired of the daily life controlled by the military dictatorship since 1962. So, the young generations are struggling to remove illegal military rulings in any case. Majority of people in Myanmar have been opposing the military-dictatorship for several decades for want of democracy.

ASEAN should know the basic demands of the Myanmar People - no military inclusion in the politics except defense duties. Accordingly, there may not be peace talks for the sake of the military's advantages. The military must resign from the field of party politics. People are bored of military authoritarianism. That's why people oppose Chinese interventions by supporting Min Aung Hlaing's fake elections preparation.

In other words, China should not help making a dead tiger to be alive in Myanmar – or supporting a dying military dictatorship. ASEAN as well as China must provide a plan for the military’s return to its barracks and disengage from political affairs. That’s also the most important demand of the peoples of Myanmar. Hence, ASEAN should stay away from China's argumentative policy on Myanmar concerning a fake election in December this year. It will cause more bloodshed in the poverty-stricken country. Myanmar populations do not hate the ordinary Chinese populations, instead Xi Jinping's aggressive policy.

If ASEAN is helpful all but backing peace and democracy in Myanmar and guaranteeing regional stability and development, it must back a Myanmar people’s political will or democratic revolution process led by the Generation-Z. ASEAN must leave behind a direction backing the junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and others responsible for crimes-against-humanity including mass atrocities and war-crimes.

Circumstantially, it’s agreeable to a reasonable suggestion made by Khin Ohmar, a Myanmar human rights activist and the founder of ‘Progressive Voice’. She says in her article - Can Malaysia save ASEAN’s credibility on Myanmar? (DVB) – as follow:

“Let us remind ASEAN of its Charter, which begins not with governments, but with “We, the peoples of the Member States of ASEAN”. The people of Myanmar have spoken, as is their right. ASEAN must heed their calls. History, as well as the people of Myanmar, will judge and remember ASEAN’s choice. Malaysia’s leadership will be central to that legacy.”

However, internal disputes within ASEAN and the bloc's tradition of non-interference cause major difficulties. Some member states remain cautious about directly challenging the junta, complicating attempts to perform a unitary approach.

In brief, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim may not resolve the Myanmar issue in this 46th ASEAN Summit. Thus, Malaysia, as the 2025 ASEAN chair, seems powerless to tackle the ongoing Myanmar crisis. The longer ASEAN delays this issue on Myanmar, the deeper its organizational divergence will be at large. It will lead the region into the cycle of military violence and impunity not only in Myanmar, but also in other member states.

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