Abstract

Assalamu ‘Alaikum wr. wb.
 Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim.
 Dear Professor Director, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
 I am grateful for this opportunity to share with you some thoughts on the topic of the role of ASEAN nations in promoting peace and regional cooperation in Southeast Asia and the wider region of East Asia. I will be discussing concerns over non-interference, the situations in East Timor, Myanmar and Rohingyas, and also matters over Malacca Straits, and ASEAN’s relations with China, and South China Sea issues during my tenure of office as Secretary-General of ASEAN.
 I have been appointed as a Visiting Professor of the University of Malaya since the middle of last year (2013), but have not been able to fulfil my obligations due to other pressing responsibilities and engagements around the world. This morning my wife asked me “how many people would make up the audience you will be speaking to today?” I said, “I don’t know.” She responded, “Usually your audience is around twenty thousand!” She was referring to the political campaigns. Pak Syed Hamid Albar here (former Foreign Minister of Malaysia) knows well what political campaigns and academic exercises of this nature have in common and what makes them different.

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