On the 25th of March 2024, Bait Al Amanah and the Australian High Commission of Malaysia jointly organised a high-level discussion of security challenges faced by the region in recent years, Malaysia and Australia’s history of cooperation on regional security, and the potential for further joint efforts.
This closed-door event, taking place in the month of Ramadhan, assembled thought leaders and participants from backgrounds such as the armed forces, government bodies and ministries, research institutes, academia, the media, and consulting firms. Dr. Abdul Razak Ahmad, Founding Director of Bait Al Amanah, launched the workshop with some welcoming remarks on the strong bond between Malaysia and Australia, as well as on the two countries’ long track record of mutual support.
This was followed by a keynote address by Mr. Andrew Shearer, Director-General of the Australian Government’s Office of National Intelligence (ONI). Mr. Shearer shared some thought-provoking insights, as well as the ONI’s findings, on the region’s ever-developing security landscape.
Bait Al Amanah and the Australian High Commission continued their tradition of inviting the discussants to share their views and key questions, in a facilitated general discussion on ways to enhance Malaysia and Australia’s strategic resilience. Guiding the flow of this discussion was Dr. Kuik Cheng-Chwee, Head of the Centre for Asian Studies (IKAS), at the National University of Malaysia (UKM). Dr. Kuik first introduced the topic with his own observations on the comprehensive strategic partnership between Malaysia and Australia, before leading the audience-focused segment. The participants offered views that both varied and coalesced in numerous aspects, and demonstrated a widely shared opinion of the importance of Malaysia and Australia’s continued cooperation for the benefit of the region.
After the break, the workshop continued with a moderated panel discussion on global challenges, ASEAN centrality and the emerging regional security cooperation. This session featured, as panellists: Dr. Tharishini Krishnan, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Defence Studies & Management at the National University of Defence Malaysia (UPNM), and Dr. Saidatul Nadia Abd Aziz, Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the National University of Malaysia (UKM). The panel moderator was Mr. Karisma Putera Abd Rahman, Research and Advocacy Analyst in the Foreign Affairs & International Security Division at Bait Al Amanah.
Penultimately joining the stage for a special keynote address was Yang Mulia Raja Dato Nushirwan Zainal Abidin, Director-General of the National Security Council (MKN) of Malaysia. YM Raja Dato Nushirwan delivered a highly thought-provoking oration, reflecting on, among other things: Malaysia and Australia’s respective places in the global order, how each country’s worldview is shaped by these dynamics, and ASEAN’s role in the region’s (and the world’s) security architecture.
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