Road closures for 47th Asean Summit, temporary, done in stages, says Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR: Road closures and diversions during the 47th Asean Summit are only temporary and will be done in stages, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

The Communications Minister reiterated that these steps would only be taken during certain hours of the day.

“Generally, the affected roads will be closed in stages and only temporarily.

“In areas around the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, however, there will be limited access, especially on Sunday (Oct 26).

“This is to facilitate delegates travelling to the venue,” he told a press conference at the International Media Centre here on Wednesday (Oct 22).

Fahmi added that television broadcasters, radio stations and news agencies have also been requested to relay this information continuously to the public.

On another matter, Fahmi said more than 290 media agencies would be covering the 47th Asean Summit.

Some 1,277 foreign media personnel have also registered for the summit, according to Fahmi.

He said the Japanese media representatives made up the highest number at 314 personnel, followed by the United States (181) and the Republic of Korea (101).

The Philippines, he said, is also sending a large delegation owing to the country being the Asean chairman following the summit.

The 47th Asean Summit will be held from Oct 26 to 28, marking the culmination of Malaysia’s Asean chairmanship, with the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”.

A number of world leaders are expected to attend the summit, including US President Donald Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, among others.

Leaders from the region – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone and Timor-Leste’s Jose Alexandre Gusmao will also be present.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had previously stated that the 47th Asean Summit and related summits are expected to be among the largest in the regional bloc’s history.