Timor-Leste‘s Asean Accession: A Repeat of History for Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR – Not once but twice. It really is a case of history repeating itself for Malaysia and Asean, in a good way.

We are talking about the entry of a new member state. Not about the blunder made, thrice over, by national broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) wrongly naming three Asean leaders during their arrival for the opening ceremony of the 47th Asean Summit and Related summits in Kuala Lumpur. More on that later.

In 1997, when malaysia was Asean Chair, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar were supposed to be admitted into the grouping’s fold. But internal fighting in Cambodia, following a coup by then second prime minister Hun Sen that ousted prince Norodom Sihanouk, had forced Asean to defer cambodia’s entry.

Then Foreign minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, despite pressure from Phnom Penh, managed to get a consensus from the rest of Asean to defer the troubled nation’s accession. It was finally admitted in 1999.

Twenty-eight years later, once again under Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship, we witnessed the accession of another member: Timor-Leste. This may just be the final one let into the club.

Just as the 1997 chairmanship influenced an accession, it was Malaysia’s political will that clinched consensus for Timor-Leste’s membership on Oct 26.

It is one of the biggest deliverables for the Asean Chair and its apt theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.

Malaysia worked hard for this to happen.Since Timor-Leste officially submitted its application 14 years ago, no chair had strongly pushed for its membership. Only in 2022 did Asean leaders, at a summit in Cambodia, agree for it to be admitted in principle and granted observer status and without decision-making powers.

A long list of criteria and conditions were listed for full membership. The Asean Secretariat in Jakarta set up a unit to help expedite the process.

A road map was introduced for Timor-Leste to become a full-fledged member, including by ratifying agreements, especially economic ones; ensuring adequate capacity, especially human resources and financials; and maintaining the ability to attend meetings.

One member state was consistent in its views that timor-Leste must fulfil all criteria before joining the club.

“Up to a few months ago this particular country argued that Timor-Leste was not ready and must fulfil all the criteria, which for us would be impossible – they would never be ready.

“The roadmap is stringent, the conditions are tough for a young nation,” said a diplomat.

“At the end of the day it was a political decision, but with the caveat that now they are in Asean, they must try their very best and take the necessary steps to implement the criteria set out in the roadmap,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his opening remarks at the summit, said Timor-Leste’s membership demonstrated Asean’s commitment to inclusivity.