UKABC at the ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting and Central Bank Governors Meeting (AFMGM)

2 May

7-10 April 2025, Kuala Lumpur - Allen Lai, UKABC’s Director of ASEAN and Corporate Affairs, participated in the 12th ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting (AFMGM), held in Malaysia.

The meeting was co-chaired by H.E. Amir Hamzah Azizan, Malaysia’s Finance Minister II, and H.E. Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour, Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia. Discussions centred on regional economic developments and the ongoing progress of finance and central banking initiatives, with ASEAN leaders reaffirming their commitment to building a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable economic future for the region.

During the visit, Allen Lai engaged with several high-level ASEAN figures, including H.E. Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry; H.E. Dr Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN; and Satvinder Singh, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General. Conversations focused on UKABC’s strategic engagement in Southeast Asia for 2025/26, particularly around the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) and the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS).

Additional meetings with key ASEAN stakeholders were held to lay the groundwork for UKABC’s anticipated participation in the 2026 AFMGM, which the Philippines will host.

Read Allen Lai’s insights from the ASEAN Investment Conference 2025 here.