KUALA LUMPUR: In less than a week, Malaysia will play host to the region’s leaders here at the 26th Asean Summit.
While, it is an interesting time for Malaysia in taking over the 2015 chairmanship of the grouping, it is also one that will be most challenging.
Malaysia is presiding over the regional organisation in a crucial moment of its history, noting that the Asean Community, is expected to be formed by Dec 31 this year.
Hence, it is also be an opportune time for Malaysia to do the necessary assessment or stocktaking of Asean’s progress.
The Asean Community comprises three pillars, namely the Asean Political-Security Community, Asean Economic Community (AEC) and Asean Socio-Cultural Community, with each having its own blueprint.
Former Minister of International Trade and Industry Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said Malaysia as Asean chairman, needs to undertake a rigorous stocktaking of the grouping to gauge the progress to date, and also shortcomings.
She said this would allow the Asean business community, governments and the people at large to understand where the grouping is, in terms of the commitments made by each member country.
“For example, the AEC, in respect of sectors identified for market opening or cross flows of investment, human resource or capital.
“Where have we fallen back, where are the obstacles and constraints? The stocktaking will tell us,” she told Bernama in an exclusive interview.
She said due to the lack of capacity in some ASEAN countries, they may not be able to fulfill their obligations as scheduled.
“As such, they need time and assistance to build up resources, human skills and capacity, to implement what they are supposed to,” she added.
Rafidah said that in some areas, the infrastructure was not available and in others, administratively not complete, with the educative processes of business people also not up to the mark.
“Hence, what Malaysia needs to do now is undertake the stocktaking to identify areas and sub-sectors that are not progressing as envisaged.
“In some areas, the shortcomings are legal, as the legal process is not complete.
In other words, some countries have not gone through the whole process of getting ratification,” she added.
The stocking on Asean aside, Malaysia needs to do one of its own, she said.
Turning to the country’s progress, the former Minister said Malaysia should not be too ‘gung-ho’ about the opening up of the market, but look at supporting domestic industries.
“If we are complacent, we will lose out.
“We must be very judicious.
We cannot be such a champion of free trade that we open up markets without any consideration.
We have to look at our own domestic industries.
“Some industries must be supported by the government as these are key sectors in manufacturing,” Rafidah highlighted.
She revealed that most Asean countries have given adequate support to safeguarding their own industries, so that they are not affected unnecessarily by the opening of the market.
“Nobody wants to be a champion of an open market and see your own domestic industries collapse.
Malaysia should be very judicious about this.
I do realise that liberalisation has its place.
“Let’s not be too liberal that one fine day, we see key industries in Malaysia itself suffer and collapse.
We can’t afford that,” she added.
Rafidah said there is a scorecard, whereby the ASEAN Secretariat evaluates product and services, and which countries are not meeting legal obligations.
“Malaysia as the chair this year must do the stocktaking diligently as to which countries cannot comply.
Malaysia (itself) must come with a scorecard and be the one to make a strong impact.
“Look at our own domestic industries which must be the focus of the government,” she added.
Asean groups Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Themed, ‘Our People, Our Community, Our Vision’, Malaysia’s vision throughout its chairmanship, is the creation of a ‘people-centered Asean’ and involving all sectors of society in the grouping’s activities. — Bernama