KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 — The creation of a Bangsamoro region, an autonomous region with its Muslim-majority population in southern Philippines, could end the long-standing violent conflict in the area.
Economic Affairs Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said the formation of the region would bring about peace, hence enabling the Muslims there to focus on socio-economic development.
“It will also pave the way for the implementation of economic programmes planned under the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA),” he said in a statement, here, today.
Mohamed Azmin said Malaysia would be hosting the BIMP-EAGA meeting this year, with him chairing the meeting.
He said the Muslims in southern Philippines had eventually chosen peace and development, and this would be a catalyst for the implementation of programmes under the BIMP-EAGA.
Through a referendum, the majority of the Muslims in southern Philippines supported the creation of a Bangsamoro region in southern Mindanao island.
It was the first time where two million Muslims in southern Philippines voted for the formation of an autonomous region to replace a smaller region known as the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Mohamed Azmin said although the result of the referendum was unofficial, it was still an encouraging development not only for Muslims in the the Philippines, but also in Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia. — Bernama
