Kuala lumpur: Ten ASEAN defence intelligence agencies convened in Kuala Lumpur for the 2nd ASEAN Military Intelligence Community Leaders Conference (AMICLC 2) and the 22nd ASEAN Military Intelligence Meeting (AMIM 22), held over two days beginning yesterday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the conference was hosted by the Malaysian Defence Intelligence Organisation (MDIO) under the theme ‘Sustainable Intelligence Co-operation for an Inclusive ASEAN’. It aimed to reaffirm the bloc’s commitment to a more responsive, transparent, and resilient regional intelligence network. MDIO director-general Lt Gen Datuk Mohd Razali Alias remarked that Malaysia’s role as host underscored its strategic partnership in advancing regional defence diplomacy.

Lt Gen Datuk Mohd Razali Alias stated that the conference reinforced ASEAN’s intelligence cooperation and laid the groundwork for sustained defence diplomacy to uphold stability, trust, and peace amid 21st-century geopolitical challenges. He elaborated that AMICLC 2 provided a high-level platform for strategic dialogue among intelligence leaders, addressing both traditional and non-traditional security threats while promoting the exchange of critical expertise.

AMIM 22, meanwhile, focused on serving as a technical platform to coordinate intelligence-sharing, joint threat assessments, and responses to cross-border security issues. The meeting concentrated on terrorism, organised crime, and extremism. Lt Gen Datuk Mohd Razali Alias added that this platform enhances intelligence professionalism through joint training, shared expertise, and secure communication frameworks.