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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marked the conclusion of the historic first ASEAN Law Forum, held from 19 to 21 August at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). The Forum represented an essential step forward in ASEAN's commitment to trust-building, strengthening its position on the global stage, and highlighting the significant strides made by our region towards enhancing legal reform. In this regard, the Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister's Department wishes to express our utmost appreciation to Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for all the assistance and guidance in making this forum a success.
Building up to the Forum, and in alignment with the Malaysian Government's vision of enhancing regional cooperation and inclusivity, the groundwork was laid through bilateral engagements with ASEAN Member States through the ASEAN Tour, and the Kuala Lumpur Forum on International Arbitration held in 2024.
The Forum brought together policymakers, legal practitioners, academics, and stakeholders from ASEAN and beyond. Under the theme "Enhancing Access to Justice in the ASEAN Economic Community: Bridging Legal Cooperation for Inclusive Growth in the Digital Age", we addressed critical areas including arbitration, mediation, online safety, cross-border insolvency, cyber-related crimes, criminal and commercial law reforms, business and human rights, and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in justice systems.
The discussions and dynamic engagement underscored our collective effort to address and resolve emerging challenges proactively, delivering tangible benefits domestically and regionally, seeking to ensure a consistent and predictable dispute resolution environment, which is essential for regional economic stability and business confidence.
Additionally, specialised panels effectively tackled essential matters such as Islamic finance and arbitration, sports arbitration, maritime arbitration and ESG in supply chains. These focused sessions have reinforced our strategic commitment to targeted legal reforms tailored to contemporary and future needs.
The Forum concluded with the adoption of a Joint Statement by ASEAN Law Ministers on International Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Development. The adoption of the Joint Statement was signed by YB Dato' Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (law and Institutional Reform) on behalf of Malaysia, and witnessed by the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim.
This commitment reflects our shared vision of enhancing legal standards and cooperation within ASEAN, solidifying rule-of-law foundations, economic resilience, and regional unity. This achievement underscores Malaysia's commitment to forward-thinking and practical legal reform, grounded in outcomes that strengthen the ASEAN legal ecosystem.
Prior to the adoption of the Joint Statement, YB Dato' Sri Azalina Othman and the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) YB M. Kula Segaran went on a regional tour across the ASEAN member states to engage directly with the Ministers of Law and Justice and the representatives from their national legal institutions.
These engagements and discussions are aimed to promote regional cooperation on the international commercial arbitration and mediation development, through the support and consensus of the Joint Statement led by Malaysia.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marked the conclusion of the historic first ASEAN Law Forum, held from 19 to 21 August at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). The Forum represented an essential step forward in ASEAN's commitment to trust-building, strengthening its position on the global stage, and highlighting the significant strides made by our region towards enhancing legal reform. In this regard, the Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister's Department wishes to express our utmost appreciation to Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for all the assistance and guidance in making this forum a success.
Building up to the Forum, and in alignment with the Malaysian Government's vision of enhancing regional cooperation and inclusivity, the groundwork was laid through bilateral engagements with ASEAN Member States through the ASEAN Tour, and the Kuala Lumpur Forum on International Arbitration held in 2024.
The Forum brought together policymakers, legal practitioners, academics, and stakeholders from ASEAN and beyond. Under the theme "Enhancing Access to Justice in the ASEAN Economic Community: Bridging Legal Cooperation for Inclusive Growth in the Digital Age", we addressed critical areas including arbitration, mediation, online safety, cross-border insolvency, cyber-related crimes, criminal and commercial law reforms, business and human rights, and the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in justice systems.
The discussions and dynamic engagement underscored our collective effort to address and resolve emerging challenges proactively, delivering tangible benefits domestically and regionally, seeking to ensure a consistent and predictable dispute resolution environment, which is essential for regional economic stability and business confidence.
Additionally, specialised panels effectively tackled essential matters such as Islamic finance and arbitration, sports arbitration, maritime arbitration and ESG in supply chains. These focused sessions have reinforced our strategic commitment to targeted legal reforms tailored to contemporary and future needs.
The Forum concluded with the adoption of a Joint Statement by ASEAN Law Ministers on International Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Development. The adoption of the Joint Statement was signed by YB Dato' Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (law and Institutional Reform) on behalf of Malaysia, and witnessed by the Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim.
This commitment reflects our shared vision of enhancing legal standards and cooperation within ASEAN, solidifying rule-of-law foundations, economic resilience, and regional unity. This achievement underscores Malaysia's commitment to forward-thinking and practical legal reform, grounded in outcomes that strengthen the ASEAN legal ecosystem.
Prior to the adoption of the Joint Statement, YB Dato' Sri Azalina Othman and the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) YB M. Kula Segaran went on a regional tour across the ASEAN member states to engage directly with the Ministers of Law and Justice and the representatives from their national legal institutions.
These engagements and discussions are aimed to promote regional cooperation on the international commercial arbitration and mediation development, through the support and consensus of the Joint Statement led by Malaysia.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
ASEAN LAW FORUM 2025 MARKS REGIONAL MILESTONE IN LEGAL REFORM AND COOPERATION
SANYA, China, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Orange Lion Sports (formerly Alibaba Sports), a global sports event operator, is redefining how major athletic competitions and tourism converge through the coordinated integration of digital platforms and consumer services. The recent 2025 Hainan (Sanya) Marathon, supported by the company, showcased an "event-as-journey" experience that delivered a professionally operated, high-quality racing platform while supporting measurable economic growth for the host city. The marathon saw hotel occupancy in Sanya soar to 92%, with a notable 35% surge in spending at local businesses along the race route, establishing a promising blueprint for the scalable "racecation" model.
"We are committed to creating lasting value for athletes and sports enthusiasts," said Yang Yong, General Manager of Events and Commercialization at event partner Orange Lion Sports. "We activated resources across the Alibaba ecosystem, including Taobao, Fliggy, Alibaba Health, Ant Chain, and Amap, to extend engagement beyond race day. This approach attracted runners from across Hainan, other parts of China, and overseas, while encouraging additional event-related spending."
The provincial tourism and sports department has introduced funding incentives for 2026 sports events to attract national and international competitions. Orange Lion Sports has demonstrated how large-scale events can generate sustained economic activity and benefit local businesses by digitally integrating dining, lodging, transportation, entertainment, and shopping. In partnership with Taobao, the company launched a "Winter Warm-up Festival" that distributed tailored promotional vouchers and offers ahead of the event, designed to connect race participation with consumer engagement by introducing regional culinary specialties such as fermented vinegar hot pot and traditional Li-Miao cuisine to runners across China.
The economic benefits were sustained beyond the race period. According to Fliggy data, hotel bookings in Sanya began rising steadily from late October 2025, when event promotions launched, and remained strong throughout the marathon period. The momentum extended beyond the race, coinciding with the New Year holiday travel period. Data from the Sanya tourism bureau shows that during the 2026 New Year holiday, the city welcomed 650,800 visitor arrivals, with tourism revenue of 1.299 billion yuan (approx. US$186 million) generated, illustrating the role of the "racecation" model in supporting tourism demand.
In the future, Orange Lion Sports will harness AI technology to enhance sports events and promote fitness for all, in line with their assertion at CES in 2017: AI is the future of sports development.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Harnessing the Power of Sports: Orange Lion Sports Leads the Way in Driving the Emerging Trend of "Racecation"
