For Anwar, 77, this is the crowning moment of a career that has endured persecution, imprisonment and decades of opposition. Since taking office in late 2022, he has worked to restore Malaysia’s global reputation after years of domestic turmoil and an introspective government.

His international reach has included visits to China, the United States, India, Russia and Turkey – to name a few – underscoring his administration’s focus on foreign relations and a keen awareness of the security and economic challenges ahead.

Overall, the bloc represents the fifth largest economy in the world with a total gross domestic product of $3.6 trillion and will grow by a total of 4.5 percent in 2024.

Yet its effectiveness remains limited by consensus-driven decision-making, which can render it toothless on the most pressing issues. Critics have derided ASEAN as a “suckerhouse” incapable of taking decisive action, and Malaysia’s year in power is unlikely to escape this scrutiny.

“Chairmen will be judged on how they handle – or mismanage – sensitive issues that Malaysia has plenty to deal with this year,” Thomas Daniel, a foreign policy analyst at Malaysia’s Institute of Strategic and International Studies, told This Week in Asia .