While calling for faster implementation of the Asean Framework on the Petroleum Security Agreement, Anwar said the Southeast Asian bloc must also diversify its fuel sources and reduce dependence on vulnerable supply chains.
“We must recognise that strategic collaboration with trusted partners and regional groupings can strengthen Asean’s long-term energy security,” he said at the plenary session of the 48th Asean Summit here today.
“In this context, Asean should fully leverage cooperation with the GCC, including the broader Asean-GCC-China nexus, to build more reliable and resilient energy arrangements.”
Anwar’s call builds on Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship last year, which saw the first-ever Asean-GCC-China Summit. One key outcome of that meeting was the signing of a memorandum of understanding to begin formal negotiations on a free trade agreement with GCC countries.
The prime minister also said the consequences of the West Asia crisis were “profound, immediate and far-reaching”, and that no single country could manage these disruptions alone.
“Our response must be collective, coordinated, and forward-looking,” he said.
Beyond fossil fuels, Anwar said the Asean Power Grid was central to the region’s energy transition, calling for greater investment in cross-border interconnectivity.
He welcomed support from the Asian Development Bank and the launch of the Regional Connectivity Fund for Energy last month, saying the initiative would help finance critical Asean Power Grid projects.
On food security, Anwar warned that higher fuel prices were already driving up fertiliser, transport, and production costs, creating immediate supply pressures across Asean.
“If disruptions persist, Asean faces the risk of lower yields and sustained food inflation well into next year,” he said, adding that food security must be treated as a regional strategic priority.
Anwar proposed that Asean ministers urgently explore a regional standby arrangement for food security during crises while strengthening the Asean Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve mechanism and expanding cooperation to include fertiliser security.
He also urged Asean countries to strengthen information-sharing, consular cooperation, and emergency response mechanisms to protect millions of Asean nationals living and working in the Middle East amid the unfolding crisis.