Integrating Digital Sustainability and Humanitarian Action Key to ASEAN Resilience

JENJAROM:Economic uncertainty, shifting consumer behavior, climate change, and geopolitical tensions are among the critical threats facing local media and regional resilience in Malaysia and across ASEAN, experts have warned.

Addressing the International Conference on Accounting and Business (Mi-CAB 2025) at MAHSA University, Associate Professor Ts. Dr. Jessica Ong Hai Liaw FCILT, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Defence Studies and Management, National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM), underscored the urgent need for stronger collaboration between humanitarian action and digital sustainability.

In her keynote address titled “Connected for Humanity: Strategic Communication in Humanitarian Logistics and Digital Sustainability,” Dr. Ong highlighted how today’s interconnected crises demand new approaches.

“We live in a world of unprecedented complexity. Natural disasters strike with greater frequency and intensity. Conflicts continue to displace millions. Pandemics expose the fragility of our supply chains. Climate change threatens not only our environment but also the very foundations of global security,” she said.

She stressed that humanitarian logistics should not be seen as merely moving goods but as moving “hope, resilience, and dignity.” However, she added, logistics alone is insufficient—strategic communication is the true enabler of effective humanitarian action.

The conference also featured prominent figures including YB Senator Professor Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Hj. Mohamed Haniffa Executive Chairman, MAHSA University, Professor Dr. Maszlee Malik, Chairman of the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia; Professor Datuk Dr. Ikram Shah Ismail, Vice-Chancellor of MAHSA University and Dr. Sugumaran Selladurai, Chairman of Mi-CAB 2025.

In conjunction with Malaysia’s National Day celebrations, Dr. Ong called for unity, resilience, and strategic foresight, reminding participants that these values are essential for Malaysia’s future progress and ASEAN’s collective strength.