KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak described Asean as being personal and close to his heart as his father, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein was among the founding leaders of the regional grouping.
“It is particularly personal for me. My father, Tun Razak, was one of the five statesmen who signed the Bangkok Declaration in 1967. It was that document that brought Asean into being.”
The document was signed by foreign ministers of Indonesia, The Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Tun Razak signed on behalf of Malaysia, Adam Malik for Indonesia, Narciso R. Ramos for the Philippines, S. Rajaratnam for Singapore, and Thanat Khoman for Thailand.
Recalling the time, Najib said although he was only 15 then, he was well aware of the important milestone which would forever change the way the countries in this region deal with each other.
“The language in that declaration more than stands the test of time,” Najib said in his opening address at the 26th Asean Summit at the KL Convention Centre here today.
The prime Minister regarded the words in the declaration as inspiring and true till date as they were then.
“We must make sure, however, that those ties that bind — and the great idea that is Asean — are a tangible, personal reality for all our citizens too,” he said.
Established in 1967, Asean comprises 10 countries, namely Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. — Bernama
