MANILA: Malaysia will end its chairmanship of the Asean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime on a high tomorrow, but with the promise of continued stewardship in the battle to protect the region.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said three significant successes of Malaysia's two-year chairmanship of the regional conference have set the tone for committed and intensified efforts in regional security.
"We proposed for the AMMTC to be held annually instead of biennially, which was successful and now implemented," said Zahid.
"We also set into motion a long-term periodisation plan for 2016-2025 for the implementation for collective strategies to be implemented.
"Then in view of the evolving nature of terror, we proposed the Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Rise of Radicalisation and Violent Extremism (AMMRRVE), which is having its second seating here."
Zahid said through the AMMRRVE, Malaysia not only proposed plans, but developed solutions in the battle against extremism and radicalisation.
"We led the way in deradicalisation programmes, where we achieved a 97.5 per cent success rate," said Zahid.
Malaysia, said Zahid, also led the way in regional policing through the Aseanapol headquarters based in Bukit Aman.
"Through affiliation with Interpol, Aseanapol was also developed into a significant platform for intelligence sharing," said Zahid, who chaired the regional meeting in the past two years.
"These are vital platforms established in view of the changing nature of transnational crime," he said.
"The nature of our concerns is evolving to now include cyber security and crimes that damage the Asean community such as online gambling and the smuggling of synthetic drugs, which was brought in from abroad."
Zahid officially hands over the chairmanship of the AMMTC tomorrow to the head of the Philippines delegation Catalino S. Cuy ahead of the opening ceremony at the Conrad Manila Hotel.
Under heavy security lockdown, Asean leaders will this time also hold consultative sessions with Japan, while Malaysia's delegation led by Zahid will hold courtesy calls with delegations from Vietnam, Singapore and Japan.