PASAY CITY, PHILIPPINES, 5 November 2026 (The Capital Post) – Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening regional cooperation and promoting inclusive development across ASEAN, with emphasis on turning regional commitments into measurable outcomes for member states.
The commitment was highlighted during the 41st Senior Officials’ Committee for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (SOCA) Meeting, held in Pasay City, Philippines, on 4 November.
The Malaysian delegation was led by Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) Secretary-General Dato’ Shaharuddin Abu Sohot, who attended the meeting in his capacity as Malaysia’s SOCA Leader.
Held under the ASEAN theme “Navigating Our Future, Together”, the meeting focused on strengthening regional collaboration and advancing initiatives aligned with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
Malaysia emphasised the importance of translating regional commitments into concrete actions that deliver meaningful benefits to communities across ASEAN.
During the meeting, Malaysia outlined four key priorities aimed at improving the effectiveness of regional socio-cultural cooperation.
These included strengthening the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Results Framework to better measure progress and impact, enhancing cross-pillar collaboration and institutional coordination, and aligning regional priorities with national development frameworks.
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Malaysia also highlighted the need for sustainable financing mechanisms to support long-term socio-cultural programmes and initiatives across the region.
The discussions reflected efforts to strengthen cooperation among ASEAN member states in addressing shared challenges while ensuring that regional development remains inclusive and responsive to community needs.
Malaysia also reiterated its commitment to working closely with ASEAN member states and the ASEAN Secretariat to advance a people-centred regional community in line with the principles of Malaysia MADANI.
Also present were MOTAC International Relations Division (Culture) Undersecretary Tee Get Lien and Principal Assistant Secretary Mohd Zamzuri Ab Ghani, alongside Khairiah Kamaruddin, Counsellor (Socio-Cultural) at the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to ASEAN, and Mohd Faizal Sharip, Tourism Attaché at the Malaysian Embassy in Manila.
According to a post on the official Facebook page of Kementerian Pelancongan, Seni dan Budaya Malaysia, Malaysia’s participation reflected its commitment to strengthening regional coordination, promoting sustainable development and advancing shared socio-cultural priorities under the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 – The Capital Post
