ASEAN-AIPA Interface To Align Regional Priorities Through Inclusive Governance

By Siti Baaqiah Mamat

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 (Bernama) -- The 14th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Leaders’ Interface 2025 (ASEAN-AIPA Interface) provides a strategic platform to align regional priorities through inclusive, multi-stakeholder governance, according to the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malaysia.

In a statement to Bernama today, it said the high-level engagement is a hallmark of ASEAN’s commitment to strengthening institutional synergy between the executive and legislative branches across the region.

The statement said the event, scheduled to convene on Monday (May 26) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit, will serve as a dedicated platform for dialogue between ASEAN Heads of State and Government, as well as the Speakers, Deputy Speakers and Representatives of AIPA Member Parliaments.

“It affirms the collective understanding that ASEAN’s vision of a people-oriented, people-centred community can only be fully realised when complemented by robust parliamentary cooperation and oversight, ensuring that regional development is anchored in transparency and accountability.

“Chaired by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the ASEAN-AIPA Interface will feature the delivery of the AIPA Message by AIPA president and Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malaysia Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul,” the statement said. 

Anchored on the theme “Parliament at the Forefront for Inclusive Growth and a Sustainable ASEAN”, the ASEAN-AIPA Interface will underscore the indispensable role of parliamentary institutions in advancing the Malaysian ASEAN chairmanship’s broader agenda of inclusivity and sustainability.

The statement said that through legislative focus on critical areas such as food security, equitable energy transition, digital governance and climate resilience, AIPA supports ASEAN’s commitment to ensuring that development is both participatory and sustainable, leaving no one behind as the region moves forward.

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.

The ASEAN Summit will begin with a senior officials’ meeting on May 23, followed by a ministerial meeting on May 25, while the heads of government meeting will begin on May 26.

The theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability” has been adopted as a unifying basis for regional and global engagement.

Malaysia’s commitment is to strengthen ASEAN centrality, foster economic cooperation and champion the principles of inclusivity and sustainability.

-- BERNAMA