JALAN Civic Lab in Kuala Lumpur for ASEAN Week
Matt Yutthaworakool, Executive Director, JALAN Civic Lab
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
JALAN Civic Lab recently participated in two key events during ASEAN Week (23 - 25 May 2025) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributing to vital conversations on regional governance, justice, and civic inclusion. Representing the organisation was Matt Yutthaworakool, Executive Director of JALAN Civic Lab, who engaged in forums hosted both by the Malaysian government and ASEAN civil society networks.
ASEAN Sports ADR Forum 2025: “Ensuring Fair Play: Advancing Sports Dispute Resolution in Asia, ” organised by the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Malaysia, this forum brought together experts and stakeholders in sports governance and legal arbitration. It highlighted Malaysia’s strategic vision to become a regional hub for sports dispute resolution, grounded in accessible arbitration mechanisms, strong legal frameworks, advanced technological infrastructure, and English language proficiency.
The forum showcased how sports governance can be a channel for soft power diplomacy, with Malaysia positioning itself as a regional leader in fair play and institutional innovation. The approach reflects a model of governance that could inform similar reforms in other ASEAN countries, including Thailand.
ASEAN Peoples @ ASEAN2025: “Our ASEAN: Peoples at the Core” Civil Society Forum, running in parallel to the official ASEAN Summit, this civil society-led forum was organised by ASEAN Peoples, amplifying grassroots voices and promoting inclusive regional integration.
JALAN Civic Lab joined the Digital Rights & Internet Freedom Cluster, co-convened by INITIATE.MY, where discussions centred on the region’s growing digital authoritarianism. Although cybersecurity laws are expanding across Southeast Asia, many have become tools for surveillance, censorship, and the suppression of civic space. The session called for stronger regional safeguards to protect online freedoms and democratic participation.
Through these engagements, JALAN Civic Lab reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening democratic resilience, fostering civic dialogue, and defending digital rights. ASEAN’s future must not only be shaped by policy elites, but also reflect the lived realities and aspirations of its peoples—especially youth, civil society, and marginalised communities.
As ASEAN continues to evolve, JALAN Civic Lab will remain active in pushing for a more just, inclusive, and participatory regional order.
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