By Media Selangor Team
SHAH ALAM, July 28 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership has brought peace to the region, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said, after Anwar’s successful mediation of a ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand today.
Amirudin noted that both countries, whose ongoing conflict had threatened to escalate into a regional war, have now agreed to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, which takes effect at midnight following today’s talks.
“While this brings a temporary sigh of relief to the region, as both parties prepare to engage in direct talks at 7am tomorrow, Anwar’s poise, tenacity, and statesmanship should be the model and mechanism for resolving all regional conflicts in future, through dialogue, mediation, and with peace as the foundation.
“This is because Asean cannot afford a war,” he said in a statement today.
Earlier, Anwar mediated talks between Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai, which led to both countries agreeing to a ceasefire following border clashes that have left at least 35 dead over the past five days.
Amirudin said the cost of war in Europe and Africa, along with genocide in the Middle East, should serve as a stark warning that such conflicts must not occur in Southeast Asia.
He said today, at a time when world powers take the value of a life too lightly, Asean has shown that war can and must be avoided at all costs.
“This region cannot stand for any of that and can only prosper through peace. Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship is a testament to that, and our goal moving forward should be to resolve all pending border dispute matters through peace and negotiation.”
Amirudin reaffirmed his belief that this is the “Southeast Asian Century”, not just in terms of economic growth, but across all aspects of life, including cultural values, humanitarian principles, and the rule of law.
“These are basic tenets for us to collectively show that the Asean Way can be a model for democracy. To realise that, we must be defenders of peace, and today’s example by Anwar will be looked upon in future as a historic moment to propel Asean as a voice to be heard and respected even further on the global stage,” the menteri besar said.
Thailand and Cambodia have been embroiled in decades-long disputes over their 817km shared border, with both countries claiming sovereignty over various undemarcated areas.
