By Jemimah Ujang, Second Secretary at the Embassy of Malaysia in Dili, Timor-Leste
DILI, 30 September 2025 (TATOLI) – This year, Malaysia holds the honour of serving as Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – her 5th time. As a founding member, Malaysia recognises the weight of this role — to steer the region toward deeper integration, stronger cooperation, and shared progress. Throughout the year, a series of meetings have and continues to take place. The first half of Malaysia’s mandate culminated in the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings — ASEAN’s highest-level gathering — held from 26–27 May 2025 in Kuala Lumpur. The Summit brought together ASEAN Leaders alongside counterparts from the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and China.
During the Summit, Malaysia delivered on several key priorities. Most notable were the ASEAN Community Vision 2045: Our Shared Future, and the historic consensus to admit Timor-Leste as ASEAN’s 11th Member State at the 47th ASEAN Summit in October 2025.
ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future
ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future is the region’s long-term strategic vision, succeeding ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together, which was also adopted during Malaysia’s previous Chairmanship in 2015. This new Vision charts ASEAN’s path for the next two decades, with the ambition of building a resilient, innovative, dynamic, and people-centred community, while enhancing ASEAN’s role as an effective global player in sustainable development.
The document comprises six components, including four Strategic Plans that outline concrete goals and measures, which will be further developed into work plans, programmes, and activities by relevant ASEAN organs, sectoral bodies, and affiliated entities, namely:
1) Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future;
2) ASEAN Community Vision 2045: “Resilient, Innovative, Dynamic, and People-Centred ASEAN”;
3) ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Strategic Plan;
The APSC Blueprint 2025 serves as a roadmap for ASEAN’s journey towards a political-security community, committed to peace, stability, and forward-looking measures that address emerging issues while seizing future opportunities.
4) ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Strategic Plan 2026–2030;
- As the first five-year cycle of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, the AEC Strategic Plan will advance the economic dimensions of a “Resilient, Innovative, Dynamic, and People-Centred ASEAN”, with performance indicators in place to ensure accountability and measure progress.
5) ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic Plan; and
- The ASCC Strategic Plan under the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 seeks to build a resilient, inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and people-centred ASEAN, addressing challenges such as ageing populations, climate change, digital transformation, and public health threats while leveraging opportunities in green and blue economies, cultural industries, and human capital. Guided by the ASEAN Charter, it provides a framework for initiatives that enhance quality of life, strengthen partnerships, and ensure the region’s long-term relevance.
6) Connectivity Strategic Plan.
- The ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan 2026–2035, guided by key ASEAN frameworks and lessons from past strategies, addresses seven major trends — from digital transformation and climate change to shifting supply chains and ageing populations — to strengthen regional integration, collaboration, and the use of emerging opportunities.
For the people of ASEAN, this Vision promises a peaceful, stable, and inclusive region — one that safeguards human rights, dignity, and social justice while celebrating diversity. It envisions a dynamic, interconnected economy driven by innovation, quality employment, and sustainable growth, including advances in the digital, green, and blue economies. Equally, it envisions broader access to healthcare, education, and decision-making — including for women, youth, and children — ensuring that nobody is left behind, so that all citizens can meaningfully shape ASEAN’s future.
Timor-Leste’s Accession into ASEAN
At the 46th Summit, ASEAN Leaders proudly announced the decision to admit Timor-Leste as ASEAN’s 11th Member State by October 2025. ASEAN bodies have been tasked with providing comprehensive support to ensure Timor-Leste’s smooth accession into the Community. The Leaders expressed confidence in Timor-Leste’s readiness, and called on ASEAN partners to sustain their assistance — reaffirming the bloc’s commitment to a more inclusive, resilient, and united regional family.
Timor-Leste’s upcoming accession into ASEAN will certainly be a momentous event. Post-accession, the nation will not only need to continue fulfilling the remaining milestones of her ASEAN Roadmap, but also engage fully in ASEAN’s decision-making, and contribute meaningfully to regional goals, including for a peaceful, stable and prosperous region. In this process, Timor-Leste should be prepared to take full advantage of her ASEAN membership, put to good use all the capacity building assistance received thus far, for the benefit of her people.
As Malaysia enters the second half of her ASEAN Chairmanship, we look forward to celebrating Timor-Leste’s historic entry at the 47th ASEAN Summit in October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur — a defining milestone in our shared journey towards a common future.
TATOLI
