Malaysia has called for closer regional ties and mutual understanding among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to preserve peace and stability. Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail issued the statement on Thursday, after a two-day security gathering in Makati City.
His remarks followed the end of the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime, which wrapped up on Wednesday. Saifuddin stated that cooperation across the bloc should extend beyond formal negotiations to build stronger relationships among working officials.
The conference concentrated on bolstering regional responses to cross-border criminal networks. Officials discussed growing threats such as online scams, human trafficking, money laundering and organized syndicates.
Saifuddin shared his perspective in a social media post following a gala dinner that marked the close of the summit. He said the gathering offered a chance to exchange views directly with counterparts from other regional governments.
Ahead of the summit, Malaysia pressed fellow ASEAN members to turn regional pledges into practical enforcement steps. Kuala Lumpur emphasized intelligence-sharing, joint financial investigations and coordinated operations against criminal organizations.
The Malaysian minister pointed to the need for enhanced cross-border collaboration to combat technologically advanced offences. He pointed to crimes leveraging digital tools and artificial intelligence.
The annual security meeting brings together ministers and law enforcement chiefs from the ten Southeast Asian nations. Discussions at the Philippine summit focused on adapting regional legal frameworks to modern digital threats.
