The Asia-Pacific region must stop simply reacting to global shifts and instead become the architect of its own destiny, argued the leadership of a leading Malaysian think-tank at a major regional conference this week. Speaking at the opening of the 39th Asia-Pacific Roundtable in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia executive chairman Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Faiz Abdullah called for countries throughout the region to exercise genuine agency—the power to shape outcomes rather than merely respond to them—as the international order grows increasingly fragmented and strategic competition intensifies among major powers.
Mohd Faiz's intervention at the three-day gathering, which runs through July 2 under the banner "Accelerating Agency and Action," marks a deliberate pivot in regional discourse. Rather than focusing on how states can navigate or balance competing geopolitical pressures, this year's conference shifts the conversation toward how ASEAN and its partners can build the internal strength and collective resolve to chart their own course. The framing reflects growing concern among regional strategists that without deliberate action, smaller and middle powers risk becoming swept along by currents they cannot control, even as the rules-based international system that has underpinned their security erodes.
The concept of agency, as Mohd Faiz articulated it, extends well beyond a state's capacity to withstand external pressure. Rather, true agency involves the ability to make deliberate choices, mobilise collective action, and pursue strategic engagement that shapes regional outcomes. This distinction matters significantly for Southeast Asian nations, many of which have historically practiced strategic autonomy as a survival mechanism amid competing great-power interests. By reframing the discussion around active agency rather than reactive balancing, regional leaders signal that they view the present moment as an opportunity to assert greater influence over the region's future trajectory.
Building resilience at both national and regional levels forms the foundation of this agenda, according to Mohd Faiz. He emphasized that true resilience enables countries to engage from a position of strength, allowing them to define rather than simply adapt to an evolving international order. For the diverse nations of ASEAN, this means ensuring consistent delivery of public goods and maintaining institutional stability regardless of external shocks—whether economic, political, or security-related. The challenge is particularly acute given the region's vulnerability to climate change, supply-chain disruptions, and spillover effects from conflicts beyond its borders.
The conference programme reflects these priorities through its focus on four critical strategic fault lines that will shape the region's future. The China-India axis represents perhaps the most significant source of ongoing strategic tension, with both powers pursuing competing visions for regional order and influence. Simultaneously, ASEAN's institutional relevance faces questions as major-power rivalry intensifies and some member states experience domestic pressures that pull their attention inward. The re-emergence of nuclear considerations in strategic thinking adds another layer of complexity, particularly given historical regional efforts to establish Southeast Asia as a nuclear-weapons-free zone. Finally, the geopolitics surrounding critical minerals and supply chains touches directly on economic resilience and sovereignty, as countries compete for access to resources essential for the green energy transition and advanced technologies.
Mohd Faiz stressed that discussions throughout the roundtable would examine how abstract concepts of agency translate into concrete policy action. These conversations will explore the evolving roles of China and India in shaping regional dynamics, ASEAN's capacity to remain institutionally relevant as external pressures mount, the implications of nuclear proliferation concerns, and practical strategies for securing supply chains and building economic self-sufficiency. Each of these topics carries direct implications for Malaysia and other Southeast Asian states as they contemplate their positioning in an increasingly competitive regional environment.
A notable feature of the Asia-Pacific Roundtable is its function as a "track 2" diplomacy platform—a space where scholars, policy experts, and former officials can engage in candid discussion unconstrained by official government positions. Mohd Faiz defended this model as essential precisely because it allows participants to question prevailing assumptions and pursue inconvenient lines of questioning that official diplomacy often cannot accommodate. Rather than serving as an academic exercise divorced from reality, the roundtable aims to generate ideas with genuine policy implications, offering a space where difficult questions receive serious consideration.
The conference programme includes high-profile discussions designed to elevate the dialogue beyond regional perspectives. Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Danielle Heinecke will participate in a fireside chat focused on building middle-power agency, a topic of particular relevance given Australia's own efforts to assert greater strategic autonomy within the Indo-Pacific. This discussion reflects broader recognition that middle powers throughout the region share common interests in preserving space for manoeuvre and resisting pressure to align completely with either major-power bloc.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will deliver the conference's keynote address on Thursday, the final day, followed by his own fireside chat. The prime minister's participation underscores Malaysia's commitment to these discussions and signals that the government views the themes of regional agency and collective action as central to national policy considerations. His remarks will likely address how Malaysia itself envisions playing a larger role in shaping regional outcomes rather than simply responding to forces beyond its control.
The timing of this conference carries particular significance given the current international environment. With the United States and China locked in sustained strategic competition, with India pursuing its own regional ambitions, and with traditional alliance structures facing strain, the space for countries to exercise independent choice has paradoxically both narrowed and widened. Narrowed because major powers seek alignment and explicit commitment; widened because no single power can impose complete hegemony. ASEAN's ability to navigate this paradox—maintaining flexibility while building the resilience necessary to resist pressure—will largely determine whether the Asia-Pacific region becomes a theatre where external powers compete for dominance or a space where regional actors themselves retain meaningful influence over outcomes.
For Malaysian policymakers and strategists, the conference's emphasis on agency and collective action speaks to fundamental questions about the nation's role in regional affairs. Malaysia has long advocated for ASEAN centrality and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, positions that implicitly reflect a belief in the value of regional agency. Yet maintaining this stance requires active investment in both institutional mechanisms and the kind of internal resilience that allows countries to resist external pressure. The discussions emerging from this roundtable will likely inform thinking about how Malaysia can more effectively contribute to building the collective capacity necessary for ASEAN to shape, rather than merely adapt to, the region's evolving future.
