PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has launched a web portal designed to provide quick and easy access to essential information to assist Asean member states, dialogue partners and external Asean partners.

The site asean2015.gov.my was launched in conjunction with Malaysia assuming the chairmanship of Asean for next year, the Asean secretariat said in a statement yesterday.

“The web portal is intended to provide important updates and information on events that will take place in 2015 during Malaysia’s chairmanship.

“It will also provide local and foreign media, and other related agencies and bodies, to [conduct] online registration for accreditation and issuance of security passes.

“Visual information in video format and a photo gallery will also be made available at the web portal,” said the secretariat.

Earlier this year, Putrajaya said Malaysia’s chairmanship of Asean 2015 will be both challenging and interesting.

Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin told Bernama that Malaysia had to lead in getting Asean’s act together with respect to its goal of becoming a modern regional block.

“I am optimistic that Malaysia will sail through the challenging year and contribute significantly towards the future direction of Asean and its bid to become the next regional giant.

“Asean will also enter an interesting phase in 2015 as the year marks the end of the period for the implementation of the action plans contained in the three blueprints on political security, economy and socio-culture,” he said.

Hamzah noted that 2015 will be a historic year for Malaysia and Asean on several grounds.

“As the chair, Malaysia has to find ways to make the necessary assessment or stock taking on what Asean has achieved under the blueprints,” he said.

He said Malaysia has to also find creative and memorable ways to commemorate the establishment of the Asean community on Dec 31 next year.

This is apart from shouldering the responsibility in charting the post-2015 vision for Asean, which Hamzah described as an immense task. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on December 24, 2014.