Former deputy prime minister Musa Hitam (above) will represent caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak at the 32nd Asean Summit in Singapore, the Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) said in a statement today.

It said Musa will be accompanied by his wife Zulaikha Sheardin, Foreign Affairs Ministry secretary-general Ramlan Ibrahim and senior officials from Wisma Putra, the International Trade and Industry Ministry (MITI) and the Economic Unit Planning of the Prime Minister’s Department.

The summit to be held from April 27 to 28 April will provide a platform for Asean leaders to navigate emerging challenges such as terrorism and violent extremism.

Wisma Putra said the summit would also provide an avenue for its leaders to evaluate the progress of on-going efforts to strengthen the Asean community.

“The upcoming summit will be the first meeting of Asean leaders under Singapore’s chairpersonship for the year 2018,” it said.

Singapore’s theme, “Resilient and Innovative” will not only deliberate on Asean’s solidarity but also reflect on Singapore’s emphasis and commitment to promote schemes that capitalise on innovation.

“The leaders will further take the opportunity to exchange views on the future trajectory of Asean-led initiatives, as well as contemporary issues germane to the interests of the region and the wider international community,” the statement added.

The efforts premised on the "Asean 2025: Forging Ahead Together" document, which sets overarching goals for the three pillars of Asean will be preceded by several meetings of different levels.

They are: Meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to Asean (CPR) on April 25 followed by Asean Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on April 26, the Asean Foreign Ministers meeting, the Asean Coordinating Council and the Asean Political-Security Community Council Meetings on April 27. - Bernama