The Consul General of Malaysia in Medan, Shahril Nizam bin Abdul Malek, held a discussion titled “Malaysia’s Chairmanship of ASEAN 2025: Rethinking ASEAN” at the University of Muhammadiyah North Sumatra (UMSU) on Friday (21 March). The event took place in the VIP Room of UMSU Campus, Jalan Muchtar Basri No.3, Medan.
The discussion was attended by UMSU Vice-Rector III, Dr. Rudianto, M.Si; the Deputy Consul General of Malaysia in Medan, Muhammad Amir Azam bin Mohd Hafiz; and the Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UMSU, Dr. Arifin Saleh, S.Sos., MSP. Also in attendance were heads of study programmes, FISIP programme secretaries, lecturers, and students from the international class.
In his presentation, Consul General Shahril Nizam stated that the discussion was part of an academic collaboration between Malaysia and Indonesia. He emphasised that in academic discourse, there are no right or wrong answers, but rather a sharing of perspectives and ideas.
“This discussion aims to broaden our collective understanding of ASEAN’s future role,” said Shahril Nizam.
The session, moderated by UMSU FISIP lecturer Abdurrahman Zuhdi, M.I.Kom, began with an explanation from the Malaysian Consul General about the origins of ASEAN, the current situation, and its future aspirations. He explained that ASEAN was established in 1967 and, in the future, may evolve into a supranational organisation like the European Union with the authority to create legislation.
“We never know what the future holds; ASEAN might become a supranational organisation. So, what can we do from now to make that a reality?” the Consul General remarked.
On this occasion, he highlighted Malaysia’s main priorities for its ASEAN chairmanship in 2025: maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the region through the promotion of key strategies, ongoing dialogue, diplomacy, and goodwill based on the principle of ASEAN centrality. He also mentioned enhancing intra-ASEAN trade and investment, exploring and expanding ASEAN’s economic partnerships beyond the region, and promoting development, growth, and prosperity for the benefit of all communities.
Earlier, Vice-Rector III Dr. Rudianto expressed appreciation for the Consul General’s fourth visit to UMSU. He emphasised the importance of continued cooperation between UMSU and the Malaysian Consulate General, which has been established through both formal and informal programmes.
“Going forward, we will continue to strengthen this cooperation. One of the programmes we are currently planning is a pantun festival involving participants from both Indonesia and Malaysia,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of the discussion’s topic, focusing on Malaysia’s leadership of ASEAN in 2025. According to him, ASEAN plays a strategic role as a relatively stable region free from major conflicts.
Furthermore, Dr. Rudianto mentioned that UMSU plans to launch an International Relations programme to broaden students’ political insights.
The discussion continued in an interactive manner, with thought-provoking questions from lecturers and students of UMSU’s FISIP international class regarding ASEAN 2025 programmes. The event concluded with an exchange of souvenirs and a group photo session.
This event is expected to strengthen academic and diplomatic ties between Indonesia and Malaysia while also providing students with broader insights into ASEAN’s strategic role in the future.
