Penang: The Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) must be strengthened and repositioned as a key instrument to translate ASEAN's economic integration into tangible outcomes at the sub-regional and grassroots levels. Former Penang Governor, Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak, emphasized that ASEAN's integration success cannot rely solely on free trade agreements, summit declarations, or macro-level frameworks, but must be realized through practical cooperation, especially in border areas, port cities, and production corridors.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Fuzi highlighted the significance of micro-level cooperation, noting that efforts in border towns, provinces, cities, ports, checkpoints, and production corridors are more relevant to local communities. He underscored that ASEAN's growth triangles are not merely strategic options but essential pathways for sustainable growth, resilience, and shared prosperity.
The former Foreign Ministry secretary-general explained that the IMT-GT, covering regions in Sumatra, northern Peninsular Malaysia, and southern Thailand, was designed to complement ASEAN's broader economic framework by capitalizing on geography, proximity, and economic complementarities. He pointed out that trade within the IMT-GT sub-region grew from approximately US$368 billion in 2019 to nearly US$660 billion in 2023, alongside the development of infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, seaports, and airports.
Ahmad Fuzi also mentioned improvements in customs, immigration, and quarantine (CIQ) facilitation, notably along the Malaysia-Thailand axis, with enhancements like the Bukit Kayu Hitam ICQS complex and a CIQ cooperation framework signed in 2025. However, he identified ongoing structural challenges for the IMT-GT, including non-tariff barriers, inconsistent standards, complex bureaucratic procedures, and connectivity gaps, particularly in last-mile logistics.
He remarked that the IMT-GT suffers from a lack of maturation rather than ideas, emphasizing the need for a systematic pipeline from concept to execution to avoid becoming merely a planning exercise. Ahmad Fuzi also highlighted Thailand's proposed land bridge initiative, stressing the strategic importance for Malaysia and Penang to remain integral to evolving regional logistics and trade networks.
To rejuvenate the IMT-GT, he suggested repositioning it as a functional logistics corridor, focusing on time, cost, and reliability, while leveraging halal and agro-food value chains, cross-border tourism, and green and digital trade initiatives. Earlier, he participated in The Centre for Policy Research (CPR) Policy Dialogue Series themed 'ASEAN Policy Solutions for Shared Growth,' organized by CPR USM, which gathered policymakers, economists, academics, and institutional leaders to discuss inclusive and sustainable growth across ASEAN.