Malaysia, Indonesia to Pursue Single Time Zone For ASEAN
19 October 2018 15:12 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The leaders of Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to pursue a single time zone for countries in the ASEAN region.
Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said the idea would "enhance the spirit of ASEAN solidarity".
There are currently three different time zones spanning ASEAN – a 90-minute time difference between Myanmar in the west and Singapore and Malaysia in the east.
Indonesia is divided over the three time zones despite previous plans to implement a single zone for the country.
Singapore Foreign Minister K Shanmugam has previously indicated support for the idea, which was also discussed at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Kota Kinabalu on January 28.
Supporters say a single time zone would make regional banking more efficient, with coordinated opening times for banks and stock markets.
ANTARA