TRUMP'S DEFENCE NOMINEE FACES SCRUTINY OVER LACK OF ASEAN KNOWLEDGE

By Wan Muhammad Aslah Wan Razali

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 15 (Bernama) -- United States (US) President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, admitted to having limited knowledge about ASEAN, struggling to name even one member of the bloc during his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

During the confirmation hearing, which was broadcast across major US networks, Hegseth faced intense questioning from US Senator Tammy Duckworth, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, regarding his understanding of ASEAN member states and their strategic significance.

"Can you name the importance of at least one of the nations in ASEAN and what type of agreement we have with at least one of those nations, and how many nations are in ASEAN?” Duckworth asked.

Hegseth admitted he could not provide the exact number of nations in ASEAN, and instead listed South Korea, Japan, and Australia.

“None of those countries that you’ve mentioned are in ASEAN," Duckworth interjected, correcting him.

"I suggest you do a little homework before you prepare for these types of negotiations,” she added.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The grouping was established on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand, through the signing of the Bangkok Declaration by its founding members: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. 

This year, Malaysia assumes the chairmanship of ASEAN under the theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability".

The US has defence alliances with the Philippines and Singapore.

While Hegseth served as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard in the early 2000s, with deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, he lacks broader experience in defence policymaking roles. His professional background over the past decade has primarily been as a Fox News commentator.

-- BERNAMA