Malaysia handed over ASEAN rotating chairmanship to Laos on Sunday (November 22), marking the end of a two-day regional meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
Leaders from 18 countries including the United States, China, India, Russia, Japan and Southeast Asia who gathered for the summit in Malaysia, the host in 2015, issued strong calls for action after a recent spate of attacks by Islamic State in Paris, Mali and Lebanon.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak opened the meeting on Saturday (November 21) by sending a message to world leaders to combat terrorism and extremism in light of the recent attacks, which he called “barbaric acts”.
During the news conference at the end of the two-day meeting, Najib called the Islamic State (IS) ‘perverted’ and ‘travesty of Islam’.
“Because at the end of the day is not just about a military solution, but we have win the hearts and minds of the people. And by doing that they have to be convinced that IS is a perverted, a travesty of Islam which runs counter to the true teachings of Islam. So that counter narrative, Malaysia can provide,” said Najib.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who also joined the meeting, urged Russia and the United States to cooperate in rooting out terrorism and said he would unveil a comprehensive plan to fight extremism and violence early next year.
Regional issues, mainly territorial dispute among ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and China over the South China Sea were discussed in the meeting.
China, which claims almost the entire energy-rich South China Sea, has been transforming reefs into artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago and building airfields and other facilities on some of them. On Sunday China said they will continue building the military facilities and accused the United States of testing it by sending warships through the area.
Najib said issue of freedom of navigation in the South China Sea was widely discussed.
“When it comes to freedom of navigation and overflight all countries agreed that should not be any interference with respect of the freedom of navigation and overflights. China has also come out categorically in the meeting that they are committed to ensure safety and freedom of navigation and overflights. So its not just ASEAN countries but China also has given the assurance,” said Najib.
The Southeast Asian nations also established a formal community that attempts to create freer movement of trade and capital in an area of 625 million people with a combined economic output of $2.6 trillion.
The ASEAN Community includes a political, security and socio-cultural dimension in a region with governments ranging from communist in Vietnam and quasi-military in Myanmar to the kingdom of Brunei and the boisterous democracy of the Philippines.
