On 16 October 2026, H.E. Ms. Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Malaysia, was invited to attend the launch of aseanx, an independent regional platform for ASEAN-focused information, analysis and networking, held at the aseanx office at Menara EcoWorld, Kuala Lumpur. Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and the Southeast Asian Futures Initiative Centre (SEAFIC), delivered a Special Address as Guest of Honour; Tan Sri Nazir Razak, former Chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Malaysia, delivered Special Remarks; and Ms. Jukhee Hong, Founder of aseanx, delivered the welcoming remarks. Also in attendance were Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, former Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia and former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department responsible for the economy, as well as more than 70 representatives from the public and private sectors, academia and the media.

On this occasion, the Ambassador attended the inaugural aseanx Forum entitled “ASEAN 2.0: Reimagining Integration in a Fractured World.” The hybrid panel featured Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Aziz; Tan Sri Nazir Razak; Mr. Ong Keng Yong, Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and former Secretary-General of ASEAN; Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria, former Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat and former Secretary-General of the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia (MITI); Mr. George T. Barcelon, Chairman Emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI); and Ms. Ang Shih-Huei, Asia Chief Executive Officer of H/Advisors. The panellists exchanged views on the future of ASEAN integration amid shifts in the global geopolitical and economic landscape.

aseanx is an independent regional platform for ASEAN-focused information, analysis and networking, founded by Ms. Jukhee Hong, former Executive Director of ASEAN-BAC Malaysia. It aims to connect economic, business, investment and policy information across ASEAN Member States and help bridge information gaps among governments, businesses and policymakers. Those interested in aseanx analyses, insights, discussion forums and other content may follow the platform at aseanx.co, which was officially launched on the same day.