Anwar urges Asean to diversify food, medicine supply sources amid global uncertainty

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged Asean member states to diversify their sources of food and medicine supplies, strengthening regional production capacity to lessen dependence on external suppliers as global uncertainties mount. He highlighted recent disruptions that exposed risks tied to limited supplier reliance, emphasizing the need for regional cooperation to safeguard supply chains.

During the 49th Asean Summit, Anwar encouraged increasing intra-regional trade in agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, and animal feed, ensuring uninterrupted movement of essential goods through borders during crises. He specifically emphasized the need to bolster regional food security by sourcing fertilizers, seeds, and feed primarily within the region.

On medicines, Anwar advocated for Asean countries to recognize each other's regulatory approvals, pool their purchasing power and stockpiles, and expand regional manufacturing of essential medicines and vaccines. He stressed the importance of learning from the Covid-19 pandemic, which exposed the vulnerabilities of global supply chains.

On energy, Anwar stressed the importance of accelerating the Asean Power Grid (APG), stating that national power grids operating in isolation could no longer meet the projected quadrupling of regional energy demand by 2060. He called for collective technological advancements, data sovereignty protection, and transparent governance frameworks to capitalize on the potential of the digital economy.