They say the responsibility has to be shared with other member states.
In an article published by Sydney-based think tank Lowy Institute today, Angeline Tan and Yanitha Meena Louis of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies said the onus should not be on Malaysia alone.
“Moving past the deadlock is a common goal and relies on all member states to pull their weight.
“Expectations should be on members such as Indonesia or Singapore, which carry the political currency to play a more enhanced role in Asean, regardless of the country that sits in the chair,” they said.
Tan and Yanitha also pointed to the expectation for Malaysia to make progress in securing stability in the contested waters of the South China Sea.
However, they said it seems unlikely Malaysia can achieve much on the matter, given the recent leadership changes across the region and shifts towards domestic priorities.
They cited the recent ascension of Singapore’s Lawrence Wong and Thailand’s Paetongtarn Shinawatra to prime ministership, the takeover by Hun Manet of Cambodia’s top government post last year, and Prabowo Subianto’s incoming assumption of the Indonesian presidency this month.
“The leadership changes indicate that priorities are shifting heavily towards domestic issues. Shoring up a base of support at home always takes precedence in the initial years to ensure political stability.
“Given the scale of changes happening in the region, it will undoubtedly take time for intra-Asean dynamics to unfold. And this makes expectations of a strengthened consensus premature,” they said.
Tan and Yanitha said instead of fixating on consensus, Malaysia can truly contribute in laying the groundwork for a more cohesive, forward-looking Asean with effective and resilient mechanisms for the turbulent years ahead.
“The hope should be for Malaysia to reinvigorate the Asean spirit and set the momentum for subsequent chairs,” they said.
Former Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin had said in the latest episode of his “Keluar Sekejap” podcast that Asean will be important for Malaysia to state its diplomatic stance on the South China Sea issue in stronger terms.
Khairy said Malaysia has generally been soft on China’s claims in the region.
“We need to make a stand, which is why Asean is important for us to get a final consensus from the other nations,” he said.