Should Timor-Leste become the 11th official member of ASEAN sooner rather than later? According to the State of Southeast Asia: 2025 Survey Report by the ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, the region remains divided on how quickly the accession should proceed.
While most respondents support following ASEAN’s established roadmap, some member states — notably Viet Nam — express strong support for fast-tracking Timor-Leste’s entry into the regional bloc.
Most Support the Status Quo
Across the ASEAN-10 member states, 44.5% of respondents prefer to proceed as planned — following the official roadmap and admitting Timor-Leste once it meets readiness criteria. This “wait-and-assess” approach is the dominant view in nearly all member countries, reflecting caution around integration readiness and procedural consistency.
Viet Nam Pushes for Acceleration
Viet Nam stands out as the most supportive of immediate entry, with 53.5% of respondents saying ASEAN should accelerate Timor-Leste’s admission because the country is ready. This signals Viet Nam’s enthusiasm for inclusivity and possibly a strategic interest in expanding ASEAN’s unity and influence.
Several other countries also showed moderate support for acceleration, including Myanmar (35.1%), Cambodia (34.3%), Laos (32.5%), Malaysia (31.7%), and the Philippines (31.6%).
Singapore Leads Calls for Delay
While only 21.4% of ASEAN respondents support delaying admission due to concerns over readiness, Singapore leads this position, with 29.8% calling for a delay — the highest among all member states. Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia also show relatively higher-than-average concern, with around a quarter of respondents in each country preferring delay.
This suggests that economic and institutional benchmarks remain a significant concern, particularly among more developed ASEAN states.
Reversing Admission? A Minority View
Only 4.1% of total respondents think ASEAN should reverse its admission decision, citing concerns that adding Timor-Leste may burden the bloc. This minority view is most prominent in Laos, where 6% support reversal, but it remains marginal across the board.
What Do Timor-Leste’s People Think?
Unsurprisingly, respondents from Timor-Leste are overwhelmingly in favor of joining ASEAN as soon as possible:
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62.1% want admission accelerated
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24.2% support the roadmap timeline
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13.6% agree admission should be delayed until the country is fully prepared
These numbers reflect a strong national aspiration to be officially recognized as part of the ASEAN community — a goal long in the making since Timor-Leste formally applied for membership in 2011.
A Region Balancing Aspiration and Readiness
The survey underscores a key tension within ASEAN: the desire to expand and include, balanced against the need for readiness and cohesion. While the majority still favor a step-by-step approach, the growing support for Timor-Leste — especially from countries like Viet Nam — could influence the pace of regional consensus in the near future.
