00:00Former Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has called for a common ASEAN defense and security policy
00:07to strengthen the bloc's ability to deal with powers such as the United States and China.
00:13Mahathir said deferring national policies among ASEAN members have weakened the organization's ability to protect its collective interests.
00:21As ASEAN, we are stronger because we represent 10 countries and now 11.
00:29We have 600 million people, so our words carry much more weight.
00:37So if we are separated, each one trying to deal with the problems by themselves, then they will not be as strong.
00:53Mahathir noted that member states have chosen to align themselves with superpowers,
00:58citing the pro-America position adopted by Singapore and the Philippines, which has led to fragmented negotiations within ASEAN.
01:06We are not working as ASEAN. We are working as single countries.
01:12And because we are on our own, we are weak, and we can see that we have given in to the demands made by the US.
01:22Responding to a question on whether ASEAN should adopt a defense framework similar to NATO,
01:27Mahathir said greater security cooperation would enable the region to respond more effectively to territorial incursions and geopolitical pressure.
01:36He cited examples of how China has treated individual ASEAN nations unequally in the South China Sea disputes,
01:42noting that Malaysia's claim over Pulau Layang-Layang has not been directly challenged,
01:48while the Philippines has faced encroachment at Commodore Reeds.
01:52That shows that when you are not working together, you will get treated differently because of your weakness.
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