KUALA LUMPUR — Southeast Asian leaders opened the annual ASEAN summit on Monday, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pressing members on Myanmar's deepening crisis and disputes in the South China Sea. Malaysia holds the bloc's rotating chairmanship for 2026.

The gathering brought together heads of state from the ten-member bloc, alongside dialogue partners expected to attend related East Asia Summit sessions later in the week. Myanmar's military government remained barred from political-level participation, continuing a policy adopted after the 2021 coup and the junta's failure to honour a five-point peace plan.

Anwar has sought to position Malaysia as an active broker on Myanmar, repeatedly calling for renewed humanitarian access and a credible path to national dialogue. Malaysia's foreign ministry said the chairman's statement would address the stalled implementation of the ASEAN consensus and the worsening displacement inside Myanmar.

Maritime security also loomed large after repeated confrontations between Chinese coastguard vessels and Philippine ships near contested reefs. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr was expected to raise Beijing's conduct, while diplomats continued negotiating a long-delayed code of conduct for the South China Sea.

The summit will test ASEAN's consensus-driven model, which critics argue has limited the bloc's ability to influence either the junta in Naypyidaw or an assertive China.