Melaka: Melaka is 90 percent prepared to host the 19th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), with final preparations now underway. State Secretary Datuk Azhar Arshad said the government is also coordinating logistics, opening ceremony preparations, programmes for accompanying persons, and cultural performances with the Ministry of Home Affairs.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, hosting this event is an honour and recognition for Melaka as a destination for high-level international meetings. The state government is committed to supporting regional cooperation to address transnational crimes, such as human trafficking, cybercrime, terrorism, arms smuggling, money laundering, and migrant smuggling. Datuk Azhar mentioned that over 300 delegates, including ASEAN representatives and dialogue partners China, Japan, and South Korea, as well as observer nation Timor-Leste, will participate in the five-day meeting starting tomorrow.

He added that the delegates will begin arriving tomorrow, with the opening ceremony set to be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday. The state government sees the meeting as an opportunity to strengthen ties with ASEAN nations and dialogue partners, enhancing Malaysia’s global position.

The AMMTC, established in 1997, is the main forum through which ASEAN coordinates efforts to combat transnational crime. This meeting involves all ten ASEAN member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The forum’s primary purpose is to bolster regional security by enabling member nations to coordinate policies, share information, and conduct joint training. This year’s focus is on defining ASEAN’s collective response to new and increasingly complex transnational crime challenges.