SERI ISKANDAR, Oct 11 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today announced that Timor-Leste will officially become a full member of Asean on October 26.
SERI ISKANDAR, Oct 11 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today announced that Timor-Leste will officially become a full member of Asean on October 26.
Anwar, who also serves as the current Asean Chairman, said Malaysia — through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — has been actively working to ensure Timor-Leste’s full admission into the regional bloc.
“Malaysia has supported Timor-Leste’s membership from the start, and recently, we have intensified efforts to ensure its full acceptance into Asean.
“Alhamdulillah, with the Foreign Ministry’s strong cooperation, Timor-Leste will officially join as a permanent member on October 26,” he said during the ‘Anwar Meets Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) Students’ programme held at the university’s Chancellery in Seri Iskandar today.
Also present were Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar, and UTP president Mohamed Firous Asnan.
The 47th Asean Summit is scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28, with world leaders including US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and heads of government from Asean member states and dialogue partners expected to attend.
In the Joint Statement of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the 58th Asean Economic Community (AEC) on July 9, ministers reaffirmed their commitment to help Timor-Leste accelerate participation in key Asean economic agreements to support its full integration into the bloc.
Timor-Leste, the youngest nation in Southeast Asia, applied for Asean membership in 2011 — nine years after gaining independence on May 20, 2002.
In February, Malaysia pledged a contribution of US$200,000 (RM845,000) to the Timor-Leste Unit at the Asean Secretariat in Jakarta to help speed up the membership process. Malaysia has also provided capacity-building assistance through the Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP), which has trained 319 Timor-Leste officials in various fields so far. — Bernama
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