KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 (Bernama) — Deputy Minister in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia, Dr. Ong Kian Ming, said that the present administration is committed to expediting the economic integration of ASEAN as laid down in the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint 2025. Despite the fiscal challenges facing the present Malaysian government, Dr. Ong says that Putrajaya remains committed to pursuing the integration agenda as it will deliver net gain for Malaysia and ASEAN.
Dr. Ong made these comments during an exclusive dialogue organised by CIMB ASEAN Research Institute (CARI) on the topic of “ASEAN Integration Outlook 2019”, chaired by Tan Sri Dr. Munir Majid, Chairman of CARI. Dr. Ong believes that despite considerable progress that has been made by ASEAN Member States in promoting integration, many integration gaps remain.