KUALA LUMPUR - The need for greater involvement of women in nation-building and empowering youth as future leaders took centre stage during the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (Aipa).
These themes were highlighted as critical pillars for shaping a sustainable and inclusive future for the region.
Its president Tan Sri Johari Abdul emphasised the importance of increasing women's participation across all sectors, particularly in leadership roles.
"There is a very strong message we want to convey here: we need more women to participate in nation-building. Almost all leaders are looking forward to having greater participation from women," he said during a press conference after the Asean Leaders Interface with Aipa representatives session in conjunction with the 46th Asean Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, today.
While Malaysia has seen significant progress in certain fields, such as education and public service, where women represent more than 50 per cent of participants, Johari acknowledged there was room for improvement.
"In universities, almost all campuses have a much higher population of women compared to male students. So, in those areas, we are doing just fine—very fine.
"However, in politics, we are still lagging behind compared to several other countries. This is the area we want to push, encouraging young women to be more active so they can eventually take on bigger roles," he said.
Johari also highlighted the importance of preparing the youth to take on leadership roles in the future, emphasising their role in addressing global challenges such as climate change, food security and digital transformation.
"The youth of today are the future leaders. This country and Asean as a whole, will be handed over to the younger generation. Our efforts, actions and planning must take into account their expectations," he added.
He also stressed the need for comprehensive strategies that incorporated the aspirations of youth across various fields, including politics, economics, education and social matters.
These, he said were areas young people should focus on and today's leaders must incorporate these pressing matters into their planning.
Johari reaffirmed Asean's commitment to maintaining the region as a zone of peace, freedom and neutrality, ensuring stability and fostering regional cooperation.
"We strive to ensure that this zone, created by our predecessors, remains intact and continues to flourish free from external influences," he said.
He also urged regional leaders to address pressing challenges such as the situation in Myanmar and Gaza.