Malaysia has called on fellow ASEAN members to broaden their security collaboration beyond maritime concerns to include cyberspace, citing the growing threat of cyberattacks alongside traditional regional tensions.
Speaking at the annual ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting on Friday, Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin warned that peace in Southeast Asia is under increasing strain from both conventional and emerging threats. He pointed to rising tensions in the South China Sea and the escalating frequency of cyberattacks that, he said, “can disrupt societies, topple governments and undermine critical infrastructure.”
“Threats today transcend borders and dimensions,” Khaled said. “We see the challenges in the South China Sea. But we must also recognize that our digital realm is equally at risk.”
The defense ministers are set to meet with key dialogue partners on Saturday, including representatives from the United States, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and Russia. Among the attendees are US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun.
Khaled also urged ASEAN to fast-track the creation of an observer team to assist Thailand and Cambodia in managing their ongoing border dispute. The two countries recently signed an expanded ceasefire agreement, witnessed by US President Donald Trump and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who currently chairs ASEAN.
Reaffirming ASEAN’s stance on Myanmar, Khaled reiterated the bloc’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the country’s civil conflict. He emphasized ASEAN’s determination to help Myanmar “return to its rightful place in ASEAN.”
Myanmar’s military leaders have been excluded from ASEAN meetings since their failure to implement the bloc’s 2021 Five-Point Consensus, which called for peace, dialogue, and humanitarian access following the military coup that ousted the elected government.
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