Federal Territories Forge Ties With Singapore, Indonesia To Drive ASEAN Vision 2045

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Close cooperation between the Federal Territories, Singapore, and Indonesia is expected to bring significant benefits to all three parties in realising the ASEAN Vision 2045.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said cooperation with both countries was discussed during a courtesy call from Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling, and Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Bima Arya Sugiarto, today.

During her meeting with Low, who is also the Mayor of Singapore’s South West district, Dr Zaliha said discussions centred on the experiences and best practices of ASEAN cities, including the CHASE (Clean, Healthy, Advanced, Safe and Eco-Friendly) City concept adopted in the Federal Territories.

“I also shared how this initiative began by listening to the voices of the people and integrating those aspirations into developments such as Kota MADANI,” she said in a Facebook post.

Dr Zaliha and Low also exchanged views on women-led urban leadership, the clean energy transition, carbon pricing, strengthening coastal resilience and addressing the challenges of an ageing society.

Regarding her meeting with Bima Arya, Dr Zaliha said they spoke about bold ideas for the region’s future, including the vision of ASEAN 2045 with easier travel across borders, smarter waste and logistics systems, and stronger digital connections between cities.

“I also shared the Federal Territories’ role as a pioneer of the CHASE City concept under Malaysia MADANI and extended an invitation for Jakarta to join this journey,” she said.

Additionally, she said the discussion touched on opportunities for cooperation in the digital economy, such as a cashless society, as well as empowering youth and women through flexible work infrastructure, including cloud kitchen initiatives currently being implemented in the Federal Territories.

Dr Zaliha also invited Indonesia to join the Visit Malaysia Year 2026 celebration to strengthen ties between the people of both countries and reinforce the network of ASEAN cities towards an inclusive, sustainable, and prosperous shared future.

Both meetings were held in conjunction with the 2025 ASEAN Governors and Mayors Forum (AGMF), which is taking place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre over three days starting yesterday.

The forum, themed ‘ASEAN Future Cities and Regions: Inclusivity and Sustainability’, is being held alongside the 2025 ASEAN Sustainable Urbanisation Forum and the Meeting of Governors and Mayors of ASEAN Capitals.

-- BERNAMA