KUALA LUMPUR. MALAYSIA, Oct 22, 2025 – As the 47th ASEAN Summit approaches this weekend, member states are gearing up to elevate key regional priorities to the bloc’s highest table, with Malaysia’s Home Ministry (KDN) set to present pivotal outcomes from the 19th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), held in Melaka from September 8-12.
The summit, far from a mere formality, serves as a critical bridge to transform AMMTC discussions into actionable ASEAN-wide policies at the leadership level, according to Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
In a statement ahead of the gathering, Saifuddin highlighted major achievements from the Melaka meeting, starting with the adoption of the ASEAN Plan of Action in Combatting Transnational Crime (2026–2035). This long-term strategic framework will umbrella regional efforts against cross-border crime, zeroing in on intelligence cooperation, bolstering justice systems, enhancing digital security, fostering social resilience, and building enforcement capacities.
Underpinning this plan, three landmark declarations—crafted as complementary pillars—will be tabled at the summit to steer ASEAN through the next decade.
1. ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Preventing Money Laundering
Led by Malaysia, the declaration reaffirms the bloc’s resolve to fortify regional financial integrity through tighter oversight, elevated intelligence collaboration, and cross-agency information sharing to dismantle illicit financial networks effectively.
2. ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Monitoring and Apprehending Transnational Criminal Fugitives
Proposed by Vietnam, this initiative stresses the imperative for ASEAN unity in hastening the detection, detention, and repatriation of cross-border fugitives via robust data exchange, synchronized operations, and reinforced extradition agreements—ensuring no safe havens for criminals in the region.
3. ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Utilizing Sports to Strengthen Social Resilience Against Extremism
Put forward by Indonesia, the declaration pioneers an innovative, inclusive strategy by leveraging sports and youth development to cultivate social resilience, promote unity, and curb radicalization through positive community engagement.
These declarations lay a vital foundation for the 47th ASEAN Summit, where Melaka’s commitments will crystallize into tangible policies and action plans aligned with the 2026–2035 framework, Saifuddin noted.
“The AMMTC-19 has laid the technical groundwork, political consensus, and spirit of solidarity that will empower ASEAN leaders’ decisions at the apex level,” he said. “Malaysia is proud to have hosted these strategic deliberations—a testament to our nation’s diplomatic prowess in navigating complex negotiations and our earnest drive to make ASEAN a secure, inclusive, and resilient region.”
As the summit looms, Saifuddin expressed optimism that Melaka’s deliverables will evolve from pledges into concrete steps toward regional peace. “We advance with confidence and renewed hope—that the outcomes from Melaka are not just promises, but real actions for enduring security,” he added.
Echoing Malaysia’s Madani vision, the minister framed the push as a blueprint for a peaceful, progressive region rooted in universal humanistic values, amid rising global threats like cybercrime and extremism. With transnational crime costing Southeast Asia billions annually, experts view these initiatives as timely reinforcements to ASEAN’s security architecture.
