Malaysia concludes ASEAN chairmanship with pride and steady leadership

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today expressed pride in Malaysia's successful completion of its ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025, saying that the year had demonstrated Malaysia's commitment to unity, patience and steady leadership.

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PM Anwar emphasised ASEAN's strength lies in quiet persistence, not just signed documents, during his closing speech.
Malaysia's Chairmanship was marked by revived dialogues, regional unity, and major initiatives like the KL Peace Accord.
The handover to the Philippines symbolises continuity, with Malaysia's legacy shaping ASEAN's future direction.

Delivering his closing speech at the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here, Anwar said ASEAN's success will not be only measured in documents signed, but by the discipline to act with patience, to build quietly and to hold its centre while others shift.

"We also take quiet satisfaction in seeing conversations unfold among partners and powers beyond these walls. We revived dialogues, built new bridges, and proved that ASEAN's machinery, when guided by patience and reason, still works," he said.

The ceremony commenced with the playing of the ASEAN Anthem, followed by a five-minute video presentation highlighting Malaysia's accomplishments and initiatives as ASEAN Chair for 2025.

Anwar also acknowledged that while not all crises can be resolved within one chairmanship or even one generation, progress comes through persistence.

"Some crises will persist; 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 despair. What matters is that each act of courage, each small step, helps to arc our region closer to hope and justice," he said.