OPENING ADDRESS

Power demands accountability not only through institutions, but from those who wield it.

The consequences of power are ultimately measured by who pays the highest price. Accountability cannot stop at the existence of democratic institutions or elections, particularly when the costs of crises and policy decisions are borne by ordinary and marginalised people. The experience of the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997 illustrated how easily their plight can be overlooked when decisions are made by those in power.

Democratic accountability depends as much on practice as it does on institutions. Modern societies, including democracies, can still fail to hold those in power fully accountable, while good intentions alone do not guarantee accountability. Democracy is ultimately demonstrated in how it is practised, rather than simply through the formal structures that surround it.

Every watchman must ultimately also watch himself, making amanah an essential restraint on power. External checks matter, but accountability also requires those entrusted with power to exercise personal responsibility and conscience. Amanah is simple as an ideal, but much harder and more important to uphold in practice.

New concentrations of geopolitical, technological and economic power are testing existing systems of accountability.

Geopolitical disruptions demonstrate how concentrated power and vulnerabilities can transmit consequences far beyond their source. Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz illustrate how events in a strategic chokepoint can have much wider implications for global energy markets. Such disruptions again raise the question of who ultimately bears the consequences when power shifts or systems come under strain.

Artificial intelligence, chips and data are creating new forms of technological power that raise the question of who watches the algorithm. As these technologies increasingly shape economic outcomes, their growing influence demands corresponding scrutiny and accountability. The accelerating capabilities of AI make this question increasingly consequential.

Trade itself is increasingly becoming an instrument of economic pressure.Tariffs and restrictions are reshaping the environment facing trading nations, making complacency dangerous for economies dependent on international commerce. Multilateral institutions must therefore confront a distribution of global power that has changed considerably from the world in which many of them were established.

Malaysia and ASEAN can preserve their agency by engaging widely, managing differences and safeguarding regional peace.

Malaysia’s ability to navigate competing centres of power rests on remaining economically open and engaging both East and West. Maintaining international trade and constructive relationships across different partners allows Malaysia to navigate a more contested global environment without being confined to one side.

ASEAN centrality must mean the capability to manage differences, not merely a regional position or principle. Differences between countries are inevitable, including maritime disputes such as those in the South China Sea, but they need not prevent constructive relationships. Continued dialogue and economic engagement demonstrate that disagreements can be managed peacefully.

Peace has been central to ASEAN’s ability to pursue economic growth and development. The region has benefited from leaders placing emphasis on maintaining peace despite differences, particularly against a global backdrop where disputes can escalate into conflict. Preserving that restraint and the ability to deal with differences constructively remain essential to the region’s continued development.

Quotes

“Shakespeare put the same thought in a single line: “It is excellent to have a giant’s strength. But it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.” So who watches the watchmen?”

“The answer is “amanah”, responsibility. A nice word, but it is a major challenge to practise and consider the geopolitical levels where power is moving now.”
– YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim