The Watershed Moment at COP26

The COP26, which took place over three days, was a watershed occasion in modern history. To me, the absence of Queen Elizabeth II is that moment. The Queen did not deliver her speech during the event, and Prince Charles was given the honour.

While the globe scrambles to fix an environmental crisis, the Queen’s absence may have signalled the end of a great era and the start of a tumultuous one.

At COP26, countries made unprecedented promises. Though repairing the planet’s climate is a massive battle that can still be won with time and policy reforms, the events in the United Kingdom will have far-reaching consequences for the rest of the world.

In fact, when we get rid of COVID-19, I believe the absence of the Queen in the UK, the ‘environment’ tyranny in the West against the oil lobby, and the obsession to stop China will be the three key elements that will shake the world this decade.

The US, Japan, Australia, India, NATO, and their allies are all hell-bent on limiting China’s global power. But, as our former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir recently stated in an interview with Business Today, China is unstoppable, and it is more of an ally to ASEAN than a threat.

In fact, I believe that the ASEAN can continue to play a key central role in uniting member countries and facilitating China’s expanding influence in the area without irritating both the Americans and the Japanese, for example. But, in order to prepare for the stormy times ahead, we need new policies by the ASEAN and its member states.