00:00There is a tendency, you know, ASEAN has been around for quite some time, even before I
00:10was born, ASEAN has been around.
00:13And when ASEAN came about, this was a region that was in the middle of the Cold War.
00:19We were in the middle of the nuclear rivalry between the different countries, and many
00:26parts of ASEAN were still relatively poor at that time.
00:32And so, by becoming ASEAN, by coming together, countries, even neighboring countries, we
00:39had our strong rivalries.
00:41And I'm not talking about Nasi Lemak belongs to which country, we are talking about real
00:47geopolitical tensions, we had soldiers on the ground between different countries of
00:52ASEAN.
00:53So, the decision to be together, to form ASEAN was a very significant decision, and that
01:01has contributed to the peace and stability that we enjoy in this region.
01:08Today, ASEAN is a region of 670 million people.
01:16If you think Malaysia, we are just 35 million.
01:21But if we come together as ASEAN, we are bigger in terms of population than the European Union.
01:30If all goes according to plan, by the year 2030, five years down the road, we, if ASEAN
01:37is one country, we will be the fourth biggest economy in the world.
01:42Can you imagine that potential?
01:44I remember you saying just now that if all the ASEAN countries come together, we can
01:49be the fourth largest economy in the world.
01:51So, can you elaborate on that part?
01:54Yeah, so, well, now not yet, now I think we are number five, but the forecast is by 2030,
02:01ASEAN can reach, to become the fourth biggest economy, and currently our population is 670
02:08million.
02:10Of course, ASEAN is very diverse, I mentioned, some of the urban areas, not just Singapore,
02:14Brunei, you take KL, Penang, maybe you take Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta, and all that, the
02:20GDP level is very, very high.
02:22But there are also other pockets, even in Malaysia, other countries where we know that
02:26it's still quite left behind, right?
02:28So, I think the challenge is not just being the fourth biggest economy, how do we harness
02:34that as a strength, and how do we ensure that we can deliver sustainable and equitable
02:40development for everyone?
02:43Because it's not enough to say that you're the fourth biggest economy, but we still have
02:46a lot of people who do not get electricity, who do not get education, where women are
02:51still left behind, you know, those sort of things have to be addressed as well.
02:55So, I think, but the potential is of course there, and I think, you know, that's why this
03:00year's theme of ASEAN for inclusivity and sustainability is actually very critical,
03:06so that everyone can feel that, you know, that they feel that they are part of this,
03:10the potential of ASEAN.
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