While some ASEAN members already share some electricity interconnectivity, the bloc aspires to develop a completely integrated Southeast Asia power grid system to enable resource-sharing and improve cross-border electricity trade.
At Friday’s plenary, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the ASEAN power grid “remains central” to the bloc’s energy transition and long-term security, as he called for more investment to accelerate interconnectivity and low-carbon growth.
Anwar also urged ASEAN to “fully leverage” cooperation with Gulf nations and China under existing mechanisms to build more reliable and resilient energy arrangements.
Seah said ASEAN should work with the Gulf nations to establish a “decentralised” strategic fuel stockpile in the Middle East, as physical stockpiling capacities in Southeast Asia were “limited”.
“I’m sure the bloc considered this (regional fuel stockpile idea) during the 1980 oil crisis but for whatever reason it didn’t take off,” she said, referring to a global energy shock caused by the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War.
“But I note that (Malaysia) minister Johari is proposing an ASEAN-X approach to this idea – start with an interested few and expand it slowly.”
The ASEAN minus X approach refers to a flexible, consensus-based formula allowing willing member states to proceed with economic agreements or cooperation projects, while others follow later.
RICE, FERTILISERS AND BEYOND
On Friday, Anwar also proposed exploring a “regional standby arrangement for food security” during crises, and expanding the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) mechanism to include fertilisers.
Analysts consider fertiliser to be the most critical bottleneck affecting agriculture and food security, with the Gulf region accounting for about 11 per cent of fertilisers imported by ASEAN.
While Anwar did not give details on how the standby arrangement might work, he said it will ensure faster coordination and emergency response among member states.
APTERR, which includes the ASEAN member states plus China, Japan and South Korea, has operated since 2011 and involves stockpiling rice for immediate release during disasters, without disrupting market prices.
