ASEAN region can be zone of moderation: Saifuddin

ASEAN, known to take the 'middle path' approach to resolve crises and conflicts in the region, is seen as a success story in this context, and it can share its expertise and experiences with the world and help in shaping global peace and security.

And Malaysia, as the chair of this year's ASEAN, can take leverage from its experience and successes in engaging and promoting the concept of moderation, to take it to greater prominence in the global arena.

Global Movement of Moderation (GMM) CEO Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said Malaysia's current position as a United Nations Security Council non-permanent member was also an opportunity to promote the concept effectively.

"Moderation, as one of ASEAN's core values can play an important role in addressing conflicts and finding solutions to issues concerning regional peace and security.

"Today, especially with the growing concern on racial and religious extremism in the region, and the intensified need to fight violent extremism on the international front, more people are now looking at moderation as the answer," he said in an email reply to Bernama on various questions posed on the concept of moderation and ASEAN.

Under Malaysia's chairmanship of ASEAN this year, one of the eight priorities outlined by Malaysia is promoting regional peace and security through moderation as this can play an important role in addressing conflicts and finding solutions to issues concerning regional peace and security.

Saifuddin outlined two areas that should be focused in this level, namely the after-care and preventive diplomacy.

After-care will ensure that successful peace negotiations have the required follow-ups and follow-through strategies and programmes.

"Otherwise, we may be celebrating the signing of a peaceful closure to a conflict today, only to find out later the signing did not last long or is unable to be sustained," he said.

Preventive diplomacy meanwhile, is about establishing mechanism for consultation and mediation, especially in the area of race and religion.

Saifuddin said there was a need to formulate an instrument that could be used as early conflict monitoring system, so that small clashes could be prevented from becoming racial and religious conflicts.

In this context, he said Malaysia, particularly GMM was committed to work hand-in-hand with the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR) and other stakeholders.

On the extremism threat, Saifuddin said while Malaysia could share its experience in Counter Violent Extremism (CVE) with ASEAN, there was also a dire need for the region to step up efforts in CVE.

He said this included activating AIPR as the focal point, set up a command centre, security operation as well as enhancing the socio-political initiatives.

The AIPR was established under the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint.

Saifuddin also noted that non-state stakeholders, such as civil societies, and religious leaders should be included on efforts in CVE.

Meanwhile, Datuk Dr Mohd Yusof Ahmad, Head of Institute of ASEAN Studies and Global Affairs, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) said the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) could play a more proactive role to promote moderation.

"In many cases, it (ARF) had been able to bring two disputing countries to meet and talk, (and) that speaks volumes," he told Bernama.

He said more importantly, through moderation and encouraging disputing parties to talk - instead of applying pressure - ASEAN had been able to safeguard the region from external threats, while at the same time contain any internal conflicts from getting out of control.

ARF was set up in 1994 as a multilateral venue to foster constructive dialogues and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern.

ASEAN comprises Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.