46TH ASEAN SUMMIT: SECURITY TRAINING, SIMULATION TO BE HELD MAY 5-7

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 (Bernama) -- Security training and simulation ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit, scheduled to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on May 26-27, will be carried out from May 5 to 7 from 8 am to 6 pm.

National Security Council (MKN) deputy director-general (strategic security) Datuk Baharuddin Ahmad said the training was to ensure that the safety of international leaders and guests was at the highest level, in addition to testing the preparedness of the country's security forces.

"There are some simulations for ambushes, and when this training takes place, there will be one or two roads closed and it will involve a lot of machinery, such as the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) troops. So, I ask anyone who is around the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre area to remain calm.

"This training will be carried out like actual situations. For example, we are deploying a helicopter from a base, we want to test which base it should be mobilised from, we also want to test how long it takes for the helicopter to be deployed to another location for rescue,” he said as a guest on Bernama Radio today.

He added that cooperation for the preparation of the ASEAN Summit involves more than 13 agencies, including the Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysian Armed Forces, Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department as well as various agencies and ministries.

Baharuddin said other preparations that are carried out meticulously and in detail also involve aspects of communications, cyber security and distribution of resources to ensure that there are no elements of sabotage that can tarnish the country's image.

"The objective of the MADANI Government and Malaysia, as the host, is to ensure that this summit runs smoothly so that it produces a good outcome in terms of economics, politics and technology between ASEAN countries and external partners,” he said.

Malaysia will host the 46th ASEAN Summit (May 26-27), while the ASEAN Summit with Dialogue Partners will begin at the end of October, as part of its role as the Chair of ASEAN in 2025.

The 46th ASEAN Summit is expected to convene all 10 ASEAN member state leaders to discuss regional issues as well as foster economic cooperation and champion the principles of inclusiveness and sustainability.

The theme of ASEAN 2025 is 'Inclusivity and Sustainability’ as a unifying basis for regional and global engagement and reflects the region’s collective commitment to shaping a resilient and equitable future.

Malaysia had previously held the ASEAN Chairmanship post in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015.

-- BERNAMA