By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 20: Long-term efforts that harness the power of culture and the arts are vital to uniting people and fostering regional solidarity.
Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing stressed that such “soft power” approaches are key to sustaining Asean’s cohesion as member nations navigate global challenges and strengthen their collective identity.
Tiong made the remarks following a courtesy call by Asean Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn at the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) in Putrajaya on Tuesday (Aug 19), where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing regional cooperation.
“Our discussion explored ways to further strengthen Asean’s collaboration in the fields of culture, arts and tourism. We mutually agreed that regional cooperation must not be short-term or ad hoc, but instead sustainable and long-term in nature,” he said in a statement posted on his social media.
He noted that Asean must also enhance its capacity for proactive intervention and mediation in addressing challenges, while further developing cultural, educational and socio-economic linkages.
During the meeting, both leaders exchanged forward-looking ideas, including boosting Asean’s cooperation with external partners such as China, Russia and Japan, and seeking strategies to facilitate more people-to-people connectivity and exchanges between the region and other countries.
Tiong also lauded Dr Kao’s leadership, praising his “vision, courage and progressive drive” in accelerating reforms within Asean, keeping pace with the times, and strengthening unity and cohesion across the bloc.
“Malaysia remains steadfast in working closely with Asean to build a more resilient, inclusive and people-centred community, ensuring that Asean continues to prosper and thrive for generations to come,” he added. — DayakDaily
