Wednesday, 9 September 2015 – The Rt. Hon. Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia has officiated the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary General Assembly at Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Also present were H.E. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Pandikar Amin Hj. Mulia, Speaker of the House of Representatives who is also the President of AIPA, H.E. Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang, President of the Senate and Heads of Delegation from participating countries.

Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak (middle) knocking the AIPA gavel during the launch of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary General Assembly (AIPA) at Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Also present were President of AIPA, H.E. Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Pandikar Amin Mulia (left) cum Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Senate, H.E. Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang (right) applauding Dato’ Seri Mohd Najib 

Rt. Hon. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said ASEAN Parliamentarians need to play a more proactive role in highlighting the benefits that people can gain from a people-centred and more inclusive ASEAN in their respective countries. The Prime Minister said they should leverage on their direct contact with voters as well as in parliament to convey what ASEAN stood for towards the creation of a regional community that is politically cohesive, economically robust and socially responsible.

The General Assembly which commenced from 6 to 12 September carries the theme 'Engaging a People-Oriented, People-Centred ASEAN Community Towards Inclusiveness'. Drawing the audience deeper into the theme, he added that the people's participation in the establishment by end 2015 of a unified ASEAN Community was crucial for it to be one they could relate to and being a part of.

Other than that, he said that part of making ASEAN people-oriented, people-centred and inclusive was to ascertain that protection of human rights and improvements in quality of life were extended to everyone.

Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib pointed out that AIPA, formerly AIPO - an organisation at its inception in 1977 before transforming itself into an assembly in 2007 - had done a sterling job in supporting the aims of ASEAN and helping putting them into action at the national level.