Dr Hoo Chiew Ping, Senior Lecturer in Strategic Studies and International Relations under the National University of Malaysia (UKM), said that since joining ASEAN, Vietnam has been able to maximize benefits of ASEAN platforms. The scholar added that the pandemic revealed Vietnam’s strength in health security governance and this has cemented the country’s position not only within ASEAN but also with other regional governments around the world.

Dr Ngeow Chow Bing, Director of the Institute of China Studies at the University of Malaya, said that Vietnam joining ASEAN signified a very significant change, as it began the process of ASEAN bringing Southeast Asian countries within a single order.  “Vietnam has done remarkably well in controlling the pandemic and should be congratulated,” he said.