00:00While ASEAN often projects the image of unity, questions remain over how cohesive the bloc really is
00:07when it comes to hard geopolitical and economic decisions.
00:10In Estrawani's talk series, Associate Professor Dr. Koo Ying Hui from the University of Malaya
00:15explores how unified ASEAN is in practice.
00:19On the questions of how do we actually move forward or when it comes to the issues of the hard
00:26issues that we discuss here,
00:28I think 11 members until today, although all the time the ASEAN, they somehow achieved a consensus
00:35and came up with their statement, but internally we still see the differences.
00:42They still carry out their operations in the different ways.
00:47So statement is one thing.
00:49I mean the tariffs by Trump is one case that we can always see.
00:54The ASEAN say, okay, we're going to wait and things like that.
00:57We have one voice, but after that you see different countries conduct different lobbying.
01:03So that is how the ASEAN actually move.
01:06And I seriously do not think ASEAN, while we talk about unity a lot, I think on the statement on
01:14the paper, yes.
01:15But we will still be very much diversified.
01:17I mean many people like to compare ASEAN and EU.
01:20We are not comparable.
01:21We shouldn't compare.
01:22We are just very different.
01:24Historically we are different and culturally we are also different.
01:28I think what we should perhaps embrace and see is how the ASEAN is going to be more empowered by
01:39and guided by the principles alone.
01:41And I think when we talk about regionalism, when we talk about foreign policy, that principle is very important.
01:47And that principle is not missing.
01:48But just that no one is actually following.
01:51If you look at the ASEAN charters and all the principles are there, but they are just simply not following
01:57what they have said.
01:59Why is that so?
02:00Why is that so?
02:01Because every country has different national interests.
02:04And as I earlier mentioned, I think there's always the debate of how ASEAN secretariat is very weak.
02:11And it's always left to the chairmanship to actually make the decision.
02:16And that is not a good way of moving forward as a regional organisation because we function in a very
02:23different way than the EU.
02:24For Malaysia, the discussion centres on whether its position as a neutral, open economy remains an advantage
02:32or whether balancing relations with competing powers is become more difficult to sustain.
02:38Kamles Kumar from Asia Group Advisors explains how Malaysia is being repositioned by current global tensions
02:44and the challenges of maintaining a balanced foreign policy.
02:49I think now, if you look at it around the region, Malaysia politically, I think we are a bit more
02:54stable than the rest of them.
02:56I think with Prabowo in Indonesia, things are a bit flip-flip, as well as Thailand.
03:00So we seem a more attractive place to invest.
03:04As well as I think in the past five years, we have had stability in politics.
03:08And now when the trade cruxes happen, and especially when the world kind of has to reshift and pivot their
03:17ways,
03:17Malaysia seems like a more attractive market because we are friendly to both sides, we can export to both sides,
03:25and essentially we have trade from both sides, from China and US especially.
03:30So I think we seem more and more attractive, and especially now in Malaysia, having to move up the food
03:36chain,
03:36we are wanting to move up even the semiconductor ladder as well.
03:40So it seems more attractive for investors to come and put their money here as well.
03:44I think the question then would be, how long will this sustain?
03:47Because the trade blocks are getting more defined.
03:51Sure, we are building more alliances with non-traditional partners like BRICS, for instance, to hedge in some ways.
03:59But if it comes to a point where Washington or Beijing turns around tomorrow and say,
04:04hey, you either choose our technology or their market, what is the situation for Malaysia?
04:10I think especially like what Professor said now, I think Anwar and especially the Prime Minister is picking and choosing.
04:18And I think that will essentially, and I think what we have gone on in the past six months to
04:23a year is that what benefits Malaysia the most.
04:26And I think that will be the crux of the decisions that have been made at that juncture of what
04:30actually benefits the market.
04:31All right.
04:32All right.
04:32All right.
04:32All right.
04:33All right.
04:33All right.
04:33All right.
04:33You
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