Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering for their first meeting this year under the regional bloc’s new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

LANGKAWI, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan on Sunday 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 foreign minister highlights the importance of inclusivity and sustainability, hinting at Timor-Leste’s accession to the regional bloc.

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

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.

Malaysia has placed its MADANI principles at the heart of its ASEAN chairmanship for 2025, with a focus on inclusivity and sustainability as the region navigates a volatile global landscape. Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Malaysia’s leadership will aim to set a new standard for global governance,

Illegal online gambling has flourished in Southeast Asia, often targeting the Chinese mainland, where gambling is banned. ASEAN representatives reaffirmed their determination to crack down on related transnational crimes, including human trafficking, money laundering, and online scams.

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.

Singapore’s foreign affairs minister was speaking after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Langkawi on Jan 18 and 19, the first high-level meeting hosted by Malaysia as the bloc’s 2025 chair.

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.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s appointment of two former prime ministers as “special advisors” points to a gap between his words and his actions.

Beyond the mundane 44 paragraphs of the Chairman's Statement of the Asean Ministers' Retreat in Langkawi, there are crucial elements worth mentioning and following up on.As the Myanmar crisis enters its fourth year,