PUTRAJAYA, May 22 — The Kuala Lumpur Declaration, to be launched at the upcoming 46th Asean Summit, will set the tone for the regional bloc’s future direction in governance, digital transformation, and strategic preparedness, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Describing the declaration as a culmination of extensive collaboration between political leaders, scholars, and bureaucrats, he said it reflects Asean’s collective commitment to move beyond rhetoric and into action on key future-facing issues.
“We covered a comprehensive overview of what needs to be seen or expected. Governance, digital development, and the future — these are the areas we will address thoroughly in the KL Declaration,” Anwar said.
He was speaking at a briefing session on the Asean Summit 2025 with editors-in-chief of local and international media at Seri Perdana Complex last night.
Also present were the Malaysian National News Agency's (Bernama) chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin, editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, and Economic News Service executive editor Saraswathi Muniappan.
Anwar emphasised that peace and security remain the essential preconditions for regional progress, but stressed that the declaration goes further by identifying strategic focus areas for Asean’s next development phase.
“Of course, peace and security are fundamental. But now, sub-regional and regional groupings are also demanding more than just cooperation and understanding: they want specifics. And the KL Declaration addresses that,” he said.
The document was discussed and refined during the recent Asean leaders’ session, where a consensus was reached to proceed with its adoption.
“There was strong consensus. We went through the draft, we were clear, and we moved forward from there. Most of the content is already known among member states — what is important now is the firm commitment to act on it,” he said.
Earlier yesterday, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil confirmed that the Kuala Lumpur Declaration will be officially launched during the 46th Asean Summit hosted by Malaysia.
The declaration comprises several key documents that reflect Asean's strategic aspirations under Malaysia’s Chairmanship. He added that the Foreign Ministry and the Asean Secretariat will ensure that all media representatives are briefed on the declaration’s content upon its launch.
Malaysia is the current Asean chair for 2025, under the theme of strengthening community resilience, economic sustainability, and future readiness, and as the chair and host of Asean 2025, Malaysia will host the 46th Asean Summit and Related Summits at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) from May 26 to May 27.
In conjunction with the summit, two key high-level meetings: the 2nd Asean-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the Asean-GCC-China Summit, will also take place, marking an important platform for expanded regional and inter-regional cooperation.
— Bernama
