Putrajaya: The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, has urged the 8th Putrajaya Forum to adopt 'planetary health' as a formal pillar of ASEAN's comprehensive security framework, asserting that it is a strategic reality rather than a gesture of environmental conscience.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, His Royal Highness emphasized that a region unable to feed itself, provide water, or protect its coastlines from inundation cannot achieve meaningful security, regardless of its military technological advancements. Sultan Nazrin stated that environmental security forms the foundation for all other aspects of planetary and human security and should not be postponed until more prosperous times.
Sultan Nazrin highlighted the numerous security challenges facing the ASEAN region, such as territorial and maritime disputes, extreme poverty, ethnic animosities, separatist movements, extensive corruption, human rights abuses, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and smuggling. He warned that while technology could mitigate these issues, its careless or self-serving application might worsen them.
Furthermore, Sultan Nazrin stressed the importance of cooperation over competition, stating that true security lies in collective efforts rather than isolation. He cautioned that intelligence without ethics is dangerous, capability without accountability is reckless, and progress without equity is ultimately unsustainable.
He described security as encompassing trust, resilience, and shared purpose, noting that ASEAN has always thrived on dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect. Sultan Nazrin also addressed immediate economic threats, particularly the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which affects the economic security of all ASEAN countries by increasing energy, fertilizer, and transport costs, thereby driving up food prices and production costs, and fueling inflation.
He warned of an impending economic crisis and stressed the urgency of concluding negotiations to resolve the West Asian conflict, noting that livelihoods will continue to be affected even if the Strait is reopened soon. The Putrajaya Forum 2026 is part of the Defence Services Asia (DSA) and National Security Asia (NATSEC Asia) 2026 exhibitions, running with the theme 'ASEAN Security at the Edge of Emerging Technologies'.