Author: Gombak Jusoh

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), currently chaired by Indonesia, is stepping up efforts to intensify regional cooperation in promoting the use of local currencies in cross-border transactions. At the 10th Meeting of ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (AFMGM) in Jakarta from August 22 to 25, Southeast Asian finance ministries and central bank governors agreed to form a task force to promote local currency transactions (LCT) and adopt high-level principles in developing the ASEAN LCT Framework. On the final day of the meeting, the central bank governors of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand inked a memorandum of understanding…

Illness and overwork have been blamed for the deaths this year of 100 migrants who ventured abroad from one eastern Indonesian province, the national workers’ protection agency said Wednesday.  Ninety-seven of them had died since Jan. 1 in neighboring Malaysia, while the rest died in Laos, Papua New Guinea and Gabon, according to Benny Rhamdani, who heads the government’s Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency. The workers who died in Malaysia were mostly employed in the palm oil industry, he said. They had to endure long hours of hard work including clearing fields, cutting grass and carrying heavy loads of palm fruits.…

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Penang on August 11, with both sides pledging to deepen bilateral cooperation and strive for more win-win results. Malaysia is the second leg of Wang’s three-nation Asian tour, which began in Singapore and also takes him to Cambodia. Wang Yi’s ongoing tour of three Southeast Asian nations underscores China’s unwavering commitment to enhancing strategic dialogue in the thriving China-ASEAN partnership. This diplomatic endeavor not only signifies China’s resolute dedication to fostering deeper collaboration but also exemplifies its determination to forge enduring bonds with the ASEAN member states. Through…

The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) approved the erection of a telecommunication (telco) tower in Tabuan Jaya Baru here based on the approvals of both the State Planning Authority (SPA) and Sarawak Multimedia Authority (SMA), said Datuk Wee Hong Seng yesterday. The Kuching South Mayor said the local council was merely serving as a facilitating agency since the project was first approved by the SPA and the SMA. “MBKS is not trying to brush aside our responsibility in this case but we are obligated to explain what is happening to the people. To set up a telco tower, the contractor…

Libya’s state-owned oil company, the National Oil Corporation (NOC), had established last month a new program office, but multiple foreign press reports claim that one of the staff running the office is embroiled in a major fraud case in Kazakhstan. Peter Sztyk, a Canadian lawyer and entrepreneur who also goes by the name “Petro”, has joined a group of foreign consultants who will manage the Office of Strategic Programs, which the NOC inaugurated in February 15 during a meeting with local oil industry executives in Benghazi. Who is Peter Sztyk? The Canadian lawyer graduated in 1993 from Concordia University with bachelor in…

The 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) and Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) will be held in Jakarta, 11-14 July 2023. The meeting will be attended by 29 countries, plus the ASEAN Secretariat and the European Union. Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi revealed that in order to maintain regional stability, peace and economic resilience, there are eight things that will be put forward at the AMM/PMC meeting. First, strengthening the enforcement of the principles of the ASEAN Charter and various codes of conduct, such as the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), the Southeast Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANFWZ),…

Japan and China are making arrangements for a foreign ministerial meeting in Indonesia next week on the fringes of a series of gatherings involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, diplomatic sources said Wednesday. While Japan aims to stabilize bilateral ties through dialogue, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang are likely to discuss such issues as Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive water into the sea from the crippled Fukushima nuclear complex, which Beijing strongly opposes. Hayashi is planning to attend the regional foreign ministerial meetings in Jakarta on July 13 and 14, including the ASEAN-plus-three talks involving…

Malaysia is grateful for being part of Saudi Arabia’s flagship Makkah Route initiative, the chief of its Hajj operations has told Arab News, with the last batch of pilgrims set to depart from Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday. Malaysia is among seven Muslim-majority countries — alongside Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Morocco, Turkey and Cote d’Ivoire — where Saudi Arabia opened its Makkah Route initiative. “We are deeply grateful to Saudi Arabia for continuing the initiative in Malaysia for the fifth year. The Makkah Route initiative has indeed helped ease the journey of our hajj pilgrims significantly,” said Syed Saleh Syed Abdul Rahman,…

Malaysian authorities have detained a Chinese-flagged cargo ship amid reports of the salvaging of World War II shipwrecks in Malaysia’s exclusive economic zone, according to a report from the state-run Bernama news agency. The ship was detained and boarded after it was found not to have authorization to anchor in the waters under Malaysian jurisdiction, according to the Bernama report, which cited the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency. An inspection of the ship “led to the discovery of old steel and cannon shells,” the report said. Police, the Malaysian Marine Department and the National Heritage Department would investigate to see if…

Today at the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr Kao Kim Hourn delivered remarks at the Simultaneous Special Session on the issue of “Balancing Asia-Pacific Minilateralism and ASEAN Centrality”. Dr Kao underscored the importance of ASEAN Centrality in the regional architecture and how sub-regional arrangements complement ASEAN-led regional mechanisms. He stressed that ASEAN engages all its partners through its inclusive brand of multilateralism which is ASEAN modus operandi. He highlighted how ASEAN is a centripetal force in promoting unity among the ASEAN Member States and cooperation among and with ASEAN external partners. He also highlighted the benefits and inclusive nature…