SE Asian defense treaty can assist the area to manage tensions, says Hishammuddin

Last updated on June 15th, 2022 at 07:38 am

ASEAN – Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom stated today that their 51-year-old Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) treaty was robust, current, and critical to managing increasing regional tensions.

Following their discussion on the margins of the Shangri-La Dialogue, the officials told a press conference that the member states’ relationship was friendly, and that they were focused on the future despite increased geopolitical complications.

As tensions in the area rise, notably between China and US allies, Malaysia’s Senior Minister for Defence, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, sees the FPDA as an important moderating element.

Hishammuddin stated that his main concern is unexpected occurrences and accidents that can spiral out of control and become larger than they are, and that if these platforms (such as the FPDA) did not exist, there would be no way to handle problems that do occasionally spiral out of control.

Hishammuddin, Singaporean Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, New Zealand Defence Minister Peeni Henare, and British High Commissioner to Singapore Kara Owen all reiterated their support for the FPDA and emphasized its future usefulness. Australia is firmly committed to the FPDA, which is not something we take for granted, according to Marles.