From village life on the banks of the Sarawak River to shaping national policy in Putrajaya, Dato’ Sri Nancy Shukri has led with quiet strength, deep cultural grounding, and an unwavering commitment to public service. As Malaysia’s Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, she’s championed women’s empowerment, youth opportunity, and inclusive leadership.
In our Jun/Jul 2025 issue, MillionaireAsia puts the spotlight on this East Malaysian trailblazer who’s redefined what it means to lead with purpose. We follow Nancy’s journey from a childhood shaped by strong female role models to a career in politics that continues to break barriers and uplift communities.
We also continue our mission to spotlight the women shaping Southeast Asia’s future – with stories, programmes, and partnerships designed to empower, inspire, and ignite change.
Keeping the Peace: The Art of Malaysian Diplomacy
Behind every major peace accord in Southeast Asia lies a quiet but steady hand. From Mindanao to southern Thailand, Malaysia has spent decades mediating disputes that shape the region’s stability. Here’s a look back at the country’s consistent commitment to peace, unity and diplomacy to ease tensions.
As Asean looks toward a more united future, Malaysia’s long-standing role as peace broker takes centre stage.
Its mediation in Mindanao and southern Thailand shows how empathy, patience, and trust remain the region’s strongest tools for harmony.
The Philippines and the Bangsamoro Peace Process
For generations, the Moro people, a Muslim-majority community in the southern Philippines, resisted foreign and central rule – first under the Spanish, then the Americans, and later the Philippine government. As Sunni Muslims, the Bangsamoro, as the community is known, have long sought to maintain distinct sociopolitical identities, separate from the predominantly Christian Filipino population.
What began as a fight for autonomy evolved into a complex web of insurgencies, displacement, and loss, claiming more than 100,000 lives.
In 2001, Malaysia stepped in as a neutral facilitator, hosting peace talks between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
But Malaysia’s role extended far beyond simply hosting. It helped establish the International Monitoring Team to oversee ceasefires and protect civilians, keeping dialogue alive when tensions ran high.
Years of negotiations culminated in the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (2012) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (2014) – two milestones that paved the way for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
BARMM will hold its first elections before March 2026, marking a significant milestone in the peace process. And it stands as a testament to Malaysia’s long-standing involvement, having actively supported both parties since 2001.
The country continues to lend its support through the Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme MTCP and other capacity-building initiatives.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reaffirmed that peace in Bangsamoro is not just a Filipino or Malaysian concern. It will, he said, be essential for regional stability and Southeast Asia’s shared future.
Southern Thailand: Building bridges across borders
The region’s Malay-Muslim population has sought greater autonomy from Bangkok since 1948, in a struggle fuelled by cultural marginalization and religious tension.
What makes this conflict especially complex is its fragmented nature – dozens of separatist groups, including the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), PULO, and RKK, operating across decades of shifting allegiances. Between 2004 and 2013, nearly 6,000 lives were lost – a tragedy largely overlooked by the international spotlight.
In 2013, Malaysia stepped forward once more, this time as the only foreign facilitator in peace talks between the Thai government and the separatist groups.
Since then, Malaysia has hosted multiple negotiation rounds in Kuala Lumpur, helping maintain dialogue even during political transitions in Bangkok.
Progress continues slowly but surely.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan Towards Peace, adopted in 2023, set a roadmap for continued negotiations.
Under the leadership of Malaysia’s facilitators – from former Defence Chief Zulkifli Zainal Abidin to Datuk Mohd Rabin Basir – Malaysia has kept channels open, ensuring that talks remain alive and inclusive.
More than just a neighbour
It’s built on empathy, patience, and an understanding born from its own multicultural identity, where dialogue, coexistence, and respect are everyday realities.
Malaysia’s approach to peace is an enduring one. It’s about building trust, one conversation at a time.
And as global headlines once again turn toward Southeast Asia, Malaysia’s steady hand reminds the world that diplomacy is as much an art as it is a responsibility.
As Asean Chair in 2025, Malaysia’s leadership and its proven ability to keep peace within reach has once more been tested – and once again, the country has proven itself up to the challenge.
Hot off the press
From village life on the banks of the Sarawak River to shaping national policy in Putrajaya, Dato’ Sri Nancy Shukri has led with quiet strength, deep cultural grounding, and an unwavering commitment to public service. As Malaysia’s Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, she’s championed women’s empowerment, youth opportunity, and inclusive leadership.
In our Jun/Jul 2025 issue, MillionaireAsia puts the spotlight on this East Malaysian trailblazer who’s redefined what it means to lead with purpose. We follow Nancy’s journey from a childhood shaped by strong female role models to a career in politics that continues to break barriers and uplift communities.
We also continue our mission to spotlight the women shaping Southeast Asia’s future – with stories, programmes, and partnerships designed to empower, inspire, and ignite change.
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