Keyword: "Malaysian expert"

Amid growing geopolitical shifts that pose increasing challenges to intra-ASEAN consensus, Vietnam’s capacity to build workable common platforms has become more important than ever, particularly as Vietnam serves as a bridge among members at different levels of development and countries with differing strategic relationships with major powers, said Collins Chong Yew Keat, a foreign affairs, security and strategy analyst at the University of Malaya.

Vietnam is entering the most challenging phase—from planning to execution—where financial, infrastructural and governance challenges are all surfacing at once. Yet this stage also clarifies opportunities. If the country can overcome systemic bottlenecks and balance security, transition and cost considerations, it has the potential to emerge as a key energy pillar in Southeast Asia.

A Malaysian expert said Vietnam’s high and sustainable growth hinges on a productivity boost, stronger domestic value creation, and a robust innovation and R&D ecosystem, with successful reforms key to achieving these ambitious targets.

Vietnam can serve as a mediator within ASEAN when conflicting views emerge, Prof. Ruhanas Harun from the Department of International Relations under the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) has said.

The member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including Vietnam, are actively implementing the three pillars of the ASEAN Community to stabilise security and overcome regional challenges, said a Malaysian expert.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, if signed, could contribute to the post-pandemic recovery in the region, with China's economic growth in the recent quarter being a "convincing reassurance" for ASEAN, said a Malaysian expert.