Malaysian premier appoints ex-Thai PM Thaksin as adviser for ASEAN presidency next year

By Efe Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced on Monday the appointment of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as an informal adviser for Malaysia’s upcoming chairmanship of the Southeast Asian alliance.

“I have agreed to appoint (Thaksin) as my informal adviser on chairing The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), along with a team of members from ASEAN countries in an informal setup,"

Anwar said, thanking Thaksin’s daughter, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, during a joint press conference.

Thaksin served as Thailand’s prime minister from 2001 to 2006 and is the father of the current Thai prime minister, Paetongtarn.

“I’m committed to maintaining the dynamics of our relationship and our efforts towards common peace and prosperity,” Paetongtarn said during the press conference, as Anwar also expressed gratitude for her support of Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship.

Reiterating their common stance on issues concerning the South China Sea, both Anwar and Paetongtarn urged all parties to respect the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Anwar also touched upon Myanmar, emphasizing Malaysia’s commitment to the country’s involvement within ASEAN. “What is also pertinent is our position on Myanmar. While we are committed to fully implementing the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), we are taking measures through informal dialogues at different levels to ensure that Myanmar participates and is brought back to the forefront of ASEAN,” he stated.

Malaysia will officially assume the chairmanship of ASEAN, a region comprising over 700 million people, spanning 4.5 million square kilometers (1.7 million square miles), and with a gross domestic product of $3.62 trillion in 2022, on January 1, 2025.