Sweet Diplomacy: Timor-Leste PM Warms Media Hearts At ASEAN-GCC Summit

By Lucia Terey Anak John

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Bernama) -- After a long morning covering the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, media personnel were treated to an unexpected moment of warmth, not from protocol staff or organisers but from none other than the Timor-Leste Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao.

The high-level meeting, held from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here, brought together leaders from Southeast Asia and the GCC for strategic discussions.

As the summit concluded and leaders proceeded to a formal luncheon, journalists remained stationed outside the ballroom, hoping for updates or a chance for a doorstop interview.

That’s when Xanana Gusmao did something unexpected.

With a broad smile, he approached the waiting media and offered them candies, saying simply, “Take it, you’ve waited so long.”

The thoughtful gesture sparked smiles and appreciative laughter from the weary media practitioners, many of whom had not anticipated such a personal moment amid the formalities.

According to Iylia Marsya Iskandar, a 26-year-old reporter for the New Straits Times, such gestures may be small, but they make a big difference.

“It was not about the candy; it was about being recognised. You rarely see that kind of interaction at these kinds of events,” she told Bernama.

The ASEAN-GCC Summit, held in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit, aims to enhance bilateral cooperation and regional relations between ASEAN and Gulf countries.

Formed in 1981 with its headquarters in Riyadh, the GCC comprises six members: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

-- BERNAMA