Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening security cooperation among Southeast Asian nations, with Minister of Home Affairs Saifuddin Nasution Ismail calling for closer ties to help maintain regional peace and stability.
Saifuddin made the remarks on Thursday following the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), which concluded on Wednesday in Makati City, the Philippines, the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) reported.
He said cooperation among ASEAN member states should extend beyond formal negotiations to build stronger relationships and mutual understanding among officials.
In a Facebook post following a gala dinner marking the meeting’s conclusion, Saifuddin said the gathering had provided an opportunity to exchange views with counterparts from across the region.
The two-day meeting, held on Tuesday and Wednesday, focused on strengthening regional responses to transnational crime, including online scams, money laundering, human trafficking and organised criminal networks.
Malaysia had urged ASEAN members to turn regional commitments into concrete enforcement measures, particularly through intelligence-sharing, financial investigations and coordinated action against criminal syndicates.
Saifuddin also called for stronger cross-border cooperation to tackle increasingly sophisticated crimes involving digital technologies and artificial intelligence.
