Southeast Asian nations told Myanmar's military government on Sunday its plan to hold an election amid an escalating civil war should not be its priority, urging the junta to start dialogue and end hostilities immediately.

Southeast Asian foreign ministers are gathering for their first meeting this year under the regional bloc’s new chair, Malaysia, seeking a breakthrough over Myanmar’s drawn-out civil war and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

LANGKAWI: Asean Foreign Ministers have emphasized to Myanmar the importance of achieving peace in the country over holding a national election, according to Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

ASEAN has urged Myanmar's military government to prioritize ceasing hostilities and initiating dialogue over organizing elections amid ongoing civil war. Malaysia's foreign minister emphasized the need for unrestricted humanitarian access and stressed adherence to ASEAN's peace plan.

The former diplomat served in the foreign ministry for over three decades, holding various posts in Wisma Putra as well as diplomatic missions abroad.

ASEAN foreign ministers have urged Myanmar's military government to prioritize ending internal conflicts rather than focusing on conducting elections this year. Malaysia, chairing the bloc, emphasized the importance of peace during the meeting of Southeast Asian top diplomats.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan announced his appointment at the closed-door meeting of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ (AMM) Retreat here Sunday. “I would like to take this opportunity to formally inform of the appointment of Tan Sri Othman Hashim as the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar.

Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan is set to chair the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat (AMM Retreat) on Sunday (Jan 19) in Langkawi, Kedah. The AMM Retreat is the first scheduled meeting in the annual ASEAN calendar at the ministerial level under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship for 2025.

Singapore’s foreign affairs minister was speaking after the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Langkawi on Jan 18 and 19, the first high-level meeting hosted by Malaysia as the bloc’s 2025 chair.

LANGKAWI: Former Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) chairman Tan Sri Othman Hashim has been appointed as the Special Envoy of the Asean Chair on Myanmar.

Myanmar's military government was on Sunday told by ASEAN foreign ministers to prioritize an end to the fighting in its country over the holding of an election this year, the bloc's chair Malaysia said.

Southeast Asian nations have told Myanmar's military government its plan to hold an election amid an escalating civil war should not be its priority, urging the