19th AMMTC to Endorse ASEAN Action Plan Against Transnational Crime 2026–2035

MELAKA, Sept 8: The 19th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), held in Melaka this week, is set to endorse the ASEAN Action Plan in Combating Transnational Crime 2026–2035, marking a new phase in the region’s joint efforts to tackle cross-border threats.

Azlan Razali, Secretary of the International Division at Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN), said the meeting is significant as the current action plan (2016–2025) concludes this year.

“The series of meetings began with the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC), which gathered senior representatives from member states. This was followed by the ministerial-level session chaired by Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail,” Azlan said in a statement.

Key initiatives to be finalized include the establishment of a SOMTC Working Group on Money Laundering, the adoption of the ASEAN Border Management Cooperation Roadmap, and the Melaka Declaration on Combating Transnational Crime.

Ministers are also expected to endorse several declarations covering enhanced cross-border law enforcement, measures against money laundering, and innovative approaches such as sports-based programs to prevent violent extremism.

Beyond the agenda on crime prevention, the meeting is also seen as an opportunity to bolster political support for Timor-Leste’s gradual integration into ASEAN. The country is currently preparing legal steps to join the ASEAN Convention on Combating Terrorism (ACCT) and the ASEAN Convention on Combating Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP).

The outcomes of the AMMTC are expected to guide regional cooperation over the next decade, strengthening ASEAN’s capacity to address evolving transnational crime challenges.