New threats, old methods won’t do: Khaled urges Asean to step up disaster readiness

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin watches a traditional cultural performance during a welcoming ceremony in Cebu, where he is attending the 20th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting. — Picture via Facebook/MohamedKhaledNordin

First Published: Wednesday, 28 Oct 2026 12:10 PM MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — Malaysia has called for a stronger, more coordinated and effective regional disaster response capability among Asean member states to address increasingly complex and interconnected threats facing the region.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said no Asean member state, regardless of its resources, could address these challenges entirely on its own, underscoring the need for closer regional cooperation and collective preparedness.

“In this regard, Malaysia believes that Asean must work towards building a stronger, more coordinated and effective regional disaster response capability,” he said in his opening remarks at the 20th Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), being held in Cebu, the Philippines, today and tomorrow.

The text of his speech was made available to Bernama.

He said non-traditional threats were no longer distant possibilities but had become real, recurring and increasingly difficult to ignore, requiring Asean to strengthen its ability to prevent, prepare for and respond to crises.

Mohamed Khaled said the response must begin with more proactive and coordinated initiatives to strengthen communities’ ability to prepare for, withstand and recover from such shocks.

He also stressed the importance of developing strong local and regional capacity to ensure an effective response when disasters strike.

Malaysia’s call builds on existing regional mechanisms, including the Asean Militaries Ready Group on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (AMRG on HADR), which provides a framework for coordinating military assistance and facilitating the deployment of military assets to disaster-affected areas.

Mohamed Khaled cited Asean’s response to the earthquake in Myanmar last year as an example of the mechanism’s role in regional disaster relief efforts.

“We must now build upon these foundations to strengthen operational readiness, improve coordination and ensure that our armed forces can respond swiftly and effectively when disasters strike,” he said.

He said the need for stronger cooperation extended beyond disaster response, as Asean faced greater strategic competition, uncertainty and rapidly evolving security threats.

“As the ADMM enters its third decade, we must be prepared to do more than confront new threats with old approaches,” he said.

Mohamed Khaled said greater collective preparedness, stronger coordination and sustained investment in capabilities were necessary to ensure defence cooperation delivered tangible benefits to the people.

He said Asean’s peace and stability should never be taken for granted, adding that the region’s strength rested on mutual trust, constructive management of differences and a shared commitment to regional interests.

“Malaysia remains firmly committed to strengthening the ADMM, upholding Asean Centrality, and building a more secure and resilient regional community,” he said, adding that ADMM has become an important platform for practical defence cooperation, confidence-building and collective responses to shared security challenges. — Bernama