MALAYSIA POISED TO REALISE ASPIRATION AS GLOBAL HUB FOR ADR - FADILLAH

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- Malaysia’s aspiration to become a neutral, credible and global hub for alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is no longer a distant goal but an attainable reality, supported by the nation’s readiness, strategic location at the heart of ASEAN, and its cultural and legal sophistication.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said Malaysia’s position along the world’s busiest trade corridors provides a unique advantage in bridging East and West, offering neutrality, cultural fluency, and legal credibility.

"Our pro-arbitration judiciary, robust legal reforms and multicultural professional community provide the bedrock of neutrality and trust. Indeed, Malaysia’s diversity is our greatest strength, it allows us to appreciate and harmonise differences, which is the very essence of ADR.

“I wish to commend Datuk Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), for her vision and determination in driving Malaysia’s legal and ADR transformation, reinforcing our nation’s enduring commitment to fairness, accessibility, and progressive justice,” he said this in his executive address at Asia ADR Week 2025 here today.

Apart from Azalina, those present included Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi and Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar.

In conjunction with the flagship Asia ADR Week 2025, Fadillah also launched the Asian International Arbitration Centre’s (AIAC) Suite of Rules 2026, marking a significant milestone forward in strengthening Malaysia’s ADR framework.

He noted that the launch, together with the establishment of the AIAC Court of Arbitration, marks not only institutional reform but also a new chapter of institutional independence, procedural excellence and global best practices, the very architecture of trust upon which the future of ADR will stand.

Fadillah who is also Energy Transition and Water Transformation Minister said that in a world often defined by conflict and contention, ADR offers a path of dialogue over discord and collaboration over confrontation.

“It reflects the very values that define the Malaysia MADANI vision - inclusivity, compassion, and shared responsibility - principles that guide how we govern, engage, and resolve. ADR gives that ability form, structure, and purpose, transforming disputes into dialogue, and friction into progress.

“Across Asia and beyond, we are witnessing a profound transformation in the way disputes are resolved. Neutrality, integrity, and credibility have become the defining benchmarks for trusted arbitration,” he said. 

Fadillah also highlighted that the Arbitration (Amendment) Act 2024 and the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act (CIPAA) (Amendment) Act 2024, alongside the AIAC's institutional reforms, represent a major leap forward in modernising Malaysia’s dispute resolution framework.  

“These are not mere procedural improvements; they are transformational reforms that position Malaysia at the forefront of the global ADR landscape. They do so while preserving our national character and ensuring that accessibility, transparency and trust remain the lifeblood of our system,” he said.

-- BERNAMA