On 30 September 2025, H.E. Ms. Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Malaysia, was invited to attend the Opening Ceremony of the Southeast Asia Women’s Leadership Conference (SEAWLC) 2025: Women, Peace & Security (WPS). The conference was organized by POLITY and Global Asia Consulting in collaboration with the Parliament of Malaysia, held at the Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur. The Opening Ceremony featured Welcome & Special Remarks delivered by Madam Nurul Izzah Anwar, Executive Chairperson of POLITY, and an Officiating Address by H.E. Tan Sri Dato’ (Dr.) Johari bin Abdul, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Malaysia. The event also marked the official launch of the Regional Women Leaders’ Network on WPS.

 

The conference aimed to promote women’s roles in peace and security, support the implementation of Malaysia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and foster multi-stakeholder networks for advancing sustainable peace. Discussions were held under three thematic panels: (1) Advancing Economic Security through WPS, (2) Peace Begins at Home: Women’s Role in Combating Domestic Violence (3) Leading Peace and Relief in Times of Crisis.

 

On this occasion, Ambassador Lada met with representatives from various countries, including H.E. Mrs. Nongnuth Phetcharatana, former Ambassador of Thailand to Berlin, who currently serves as Thailand’s representative in the ASEAN Women for Peace Registry (AWPR) and as a member of the Advisory Board of the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand. Mrs. Nongnuth was invited as a panelist in the third session, which focused on crisis management from the regional to community levels, emphasizing women’s leadership in delivering humanitarian assistance during crises and building inclusive and sustainable recovery systems.

 

It is noteworthy that POLITY, an independent academic and policy consulting institute on public policy and governance, was founded in 2025 by Madam Nurul Izzah Anwar, daughter of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who currently serves as its Executive Chairperson.