Malaysia Pushes ASEAN Monitoring to Ease Cambodia, Thailand Tensions

(MENAFN) Malaysia’s head of government announced on Saturday that he had informed leaders in Cambodia and Thailand of his request for the deployment of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) monitors to observe conditions along their common frontier, an area that has experienced lethal armed confrontations in recent months.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim explained that he shared this message during separate telephone conversations with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

These discussions followed an earlier call he held with US President Donald Trump, according to his statement.

Reflecting on the conversations, Anwar said, "During these exchanges, I conveyed Malaysia’s deep concern over the situation and urged both sides to exercise maximum restraint, cease all forms of hostilities and refrain from any further military actions, including the use of force or forward movement of armed units, with effect from (Saturday) 13 December 2025 at 22:00 (UTC+7),"

He further noted that, as part of efforts to reduce tensions and enhance openness, "I have requested the deployment of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT), led by the Malaysian Chief of Defense Forces, to monitor developments on the ground," while explaining that the initiative would be "complemented" by satellite surveillance support from the United States.

Anwar added that data gathered from satellite imagery and on-site monitoring will be compiled into a report to be presented at Tuesday’s ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting.

The report is intended to provide “an objective account of the situation” and serve as a basis for accountability, trust-building measures, and the preservation of stability across the region.

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