Malaysia's Anwar to push ASEAN as 'cohesive force' against regional tensions

TOKYO -- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wants the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to double down on the economic strengths that hold it together as it faces a crisis in Myanmar and tensions in the South China Sea.

"What ASEAN needs is a more aggressive and dynamic approach to ensure that it remains to be a cohesive force," Anwar said in an exclusive interview with Nikkei Asia and TV Tokyo on the sidelines of Nikkei's Future of Asia summit in Tokyo.