On 6 December 2010, the Centre for Political and Foreign Affairs (CPFA) in Paris welcomed Tun Musa Hitam, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, for a day of discussions on Southeast Asia’s political and economic landscape. The programme, moderated by Renaud Girard, began with a breakfast session that offered participants the opportunity to hear his reflections on Malaysia’s evolving role in the region and its engagement with broader global challenges.

At lunch, also under Girard’s moderation, the conversation broadened to include questions of governance, development, and regional stability. Tun Musa drew on his experience as a senior statesman to discuss Malaysia’s balancing act between tradition and modernity, as well as its position within ASEAN and its relations with the wider international community.

The event provided a platform for nuanced exchanges on Asia’s growing influence at a time of shifting global dynamics. Tun Musa’s perspective, combining deep regional insight with international experience, gave participants a clearer understanding of Southeast Asia’s challenges and opportunities in the early twenty-first century.