Volume 2 2012 ISSN 2289-1277 First Official Visit by Royal Patron HRH Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah scape. The quality of human life too has not changed very much in large parts of the world. Global gover- nance has been even more disap- pointing in shouldering its other ma- jor responsibility, that of maintaining global peace and security. HRH Raja Dr. Nazrin further stated that the principles of national so- vereignty, non-aggression, non-use of force and non-interference that constitute the bedrock of global se- curity order have been too frequently and grossly violated. Owing to the aforementioned elements, HRH Raja Dr. Nazrin believes that it is time for a seminal and substantive review to be conducted to address the chal- lenges confronting global gover- nance; not only in the present time On 11 July 2012, His Royal High- in global governance in the last hun- but also in the foreseeable future. ness Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Ibni dred years has been quite remark- Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah, able. However, there has also been HRH Raja Dr. Nazrin then proposed the Crown Prince of Perak Darul a considerable downside to our the idea of establishing a Commis- Ridzuan graced the Institute with performance where the existing sion on Global Governance for the his presence to deliver a Royal Ad- governance structure is becoming 21st Century. He believes the idea is dress entitled Challenges of Global unsustainable. perhaps best pursued in collabora- Governance and The New Era of tion with dedicated partners of like Diplomacy. The Royal Address was According to HRH Raja Dr. Naz- mind in other parts of the world and the first by HRH Raja Dr. Nazrin rin, the institutions of global gover- such an initiative would then be re- Shah since he consented to become nance created after the Second presentative of a truly universal en- IDFR’s Royal Patron on 26 July 2011. World War and reflecting the power deavour. hierarchy then are now increasingly In his Royal Address, HRH Raja Dr. misaligned with the emerging geo- Continued on page 11 >> Nazrin noted that the progress made economic and geopolitical land- CONTENTS 1 First Official Visit by Royal Patron HRH Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Please like IDFR’s Facebook 2 - 3 Profile of Prominent Person page and be informed of 4 - 9 Forum upcoming events 10 - 13 News 14 - 19 In and Around IDFR 20 - 32 News DIPLOMATIC VOICE PROFILE OF PROMINENT PERSON Tan Sri Razali Ismail Chairman, Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF) and Distinguished Fellow of IDFR Q. In your opinion, is there such a stepped up to the plate to call for a not mean I will sugar-coat them. term as the ultimate moderation? process of rethinking that can have ASEAN has to do a lot more espe- a far-reaching impact on the world’s cially on issues relating to people A. I do not think one can achieve stage. The Secretary General of and their predicament. a state of ultimate moderation. The the United Nations has given ready Global Movement of Moderates support pointing the Foundation There are laudable achievements, Foundation is not charged to search towards utilising the existing struc- the steady process of institutio- for a nirvana that exists only in the tures and associated functions of nalising ASEAN in important areas; heavens. The relevant statements the United Nations’ Alliance of Civi- ASEAN has eschewed interstate of our Prime Minister relate to a lization which the Foundation is in conflicts and I am happy to detect bold and comprehensive proposal the process of doing. We have the examples of ASEAN togetherness, to cover virtually all aspects of the Prime Minister of the United King- bound by a progressive under- conduct of states, community and dom welcoming our initiative and standing of what we are and can people that impact on the well-be- the Foundation would dialogue with be, perhaps verging towards a re- ing and security of a vast majority bodies in the UK shortly. The Euro- gional sum of thinking, dare we say, of people, the mainstream. The em- pean theatre is salient; they and the ethos that distinguishes us, not the phasis is equally on people as much U.S. are vigilant against and fear- headline solidarity we get at ASEAN as on states and in the pursuit of ful of extremists within their midst. meetings by political leaders, but the objectives, government agents The Foundation hopes to influence those on the ground, building bloc e.g. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thinking among bodies and groups understanding and solid coopera- and non-government actors e.g. in Europe and the U.S., to restrain tion from the people up. the Foundation operate on parallel from labelling and quick fix and to tracks, mutually reinforcing each work towards diffusing extremist op- When I was a young diplomat, I other. Though the ultimate goal may tions and providing long term cures. ended up in capitals that celebrated never be achieved, the process and The answers mostly are known; it’s AFRICA DAY; I use to think then of the pursuit of the goal should pro- a question whether important go- ASIA DAY or at least ASEAN DAY. It gressively bring in moderation and vernments are willing to invest politi- can happen for ASEAN if the peo- that will be an accomplishment. cally in them, even if at some costs ples of ASEAN will unwaveringly initially. support ASEAN. They will support if The Foundation must not be utopian they gain definite benefits that will but the agenda has to be wide and The Foundation is proceeding to change their lives, not just state- will include political security issues engage with bodies in India, Japan, ments of intentions at meetings. that in their intractability has resul- China and South Korea, and will co- While there are some benefits, even ted in gross injustice, people be- ordinate with the Ministry of Foreign more has to be done. Can we move ing killed, and in desperate straits, Affairs in their efforts. a skewed global financial structure that results in Darwinism at a cost At the same time, despite the for- of vulnerability to people and their mal acceptance by ASEAN go- future, and unsustainable life prac- vernments of the Global Modera- tices that threaten the environment. tion concept, relevant people and institutions in the region are being The Foundation with a groundswell contacted on the operationalisation of supporters must, through the of Global Moderation in all aspects, force of our arguments as it were, on the basis of ASEAN’s conside- win over many doubters, who can- rable achievements and its readi- not see how we can overcome the ness to actively promote it globally. established structures that have This means that first the ASEAN re- yoked us, major power hegemo- gion must not provide reasons and nism, widening religious intoleran- cause for incubating extremism. ces, marginalisation, all contribu- ting to a recourse in violent extremist Q. Is it true that ASEAN issues are actions. The Foundation believes close to your heart? that the mainstream is out there to be convinced, converted to provide A. As a Southeast Asian and with the critical numbers in support and over 30 years as a practitioner of Tan Sri Razali Ismail with His Excellency Ban to influence their governments ac- international politics, ASEAN issues Ki-moon at a Special Address held at IDFR cordingly. The Prime Minister has impact on me deeply but that does on 22 March 2012 2 | [email protected] PROFILE OF PROMINENT PERSON from a NORMS driven ASEAN to a are not going in again for the ‘head- IDFR would like to express its appre- RULES based ASEAN? lines’. Our readiness to serve in ciation to Tan Sri Razali Ismail, the the Council must mean Malaysia is Chairman of Global Movement of Q. Can the ASEAN Community be readily equipped to play a construc- Moderates Foundation (GMMF), for attained by 2015? tive, activist role, not just as one of agreeing to be featured in the Diplo- the numbers. We have an enviable matic Voice. A. Governments can declare that track record in the Council and it is the community is in place by that assumed that now, Malaysia knows date but what about everything even better the intricacies and the else? Can we be rules based by bargaining. Two years in the Coun- 2015? I rather doubt that. Not cil can be the ultimate contribution exactly related to this, once I asked for Malaysia if we manifest reso- Tun Dr. Mahathir, after his retire- luteness, courage not to buckle to ment, at a public meeting why he pressure and if we have a sense of did not take over the mantle of be- justice and of course, the special ing leader of ASEAN and he said, skills to make a difference at the “No, it has to be from Indonesia” world’s stage. National glory is all and I agree, it should be from In- very good but on the basis of what donesia. It has to be Indonesia be- we did before, we must not end up cause Indonesia is the biggest and a nonentity. Also I cannot but men- eventually will be the strongest, the tion that our Prime Minister has now most powerful, the most influential. pronounced, with the support of They have to provide the leadership ASEAN, on proposals for a Global and so far, they have not provided Movement of Moderates and be- that leadership. In the case of EU, ing in the Council would provide us Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of many vital opportunities.