Despite Asean’s call to prioritise peace over a sham election, Myanmar’s military rulers appear bent on clinging to power no matter the cost.

Malaysia has appointed a new ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar to try and implement the regional bloc’s stalled peace plan for the war-torn country.

LANGKAWI, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan on Saturday reaffirmed that ASEAN will continue to drive its own path forward amid intensifying superpower competition in the region. With a highly geo-strategic position, cultural versatility, and economic weight, he said Southeast Asia holds massive potential.

The bloc says that any poll must be “inclusive,” but it has limited power to deter the junta from its election plans.

LANGKAWI, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is set to chair the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat) on Sunday (Jan 19) in Langkawi, Kedah. The AMM Retreat is the first scheduled meeting in the annual ASEAN calendar at the ministerial level under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025.

After three years of failed diplomacy, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has upped the ante and warned the military junta in Myanmar to end the civil war and allow the free flow of much-needed humanitarian aid.

The foreign minister highlights the importance of inclusivity and sustainability, hinting at Timor-Leste’s accession to the regional bloc.

At a Malaysia conference, ministers of ASEAN nations pledged to step up the fight against illegal online gambling and cyber-crime.

Southeast Asian nations told Myanmar's military government on Sunday its plan to hold an election amid an escalating civil war should not be its priority, urging the junta to start dialogue and end hostilities immediately.

LANGKAWI: South-East Asia has emerged as a competitive arena for global superpowers and Asean possesses significant potential, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. Read full story

Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2021 when its military overthrew the government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The regional bloc told a junta representative at a meeting that a poll is “not a priority at the moment," Malaysia’s foreign minister said.