“There are no majority and no minority in Timor-Leste. Everyone is equal in the Constitution and the law, and this principle is applied in practice. One of our most important leaders is a Muslim of Arabic descent and our parliamentary speaker has some Chinese ancestry.

The President described the Timorese society as “respectful and fully inclusive.”

“Hence, no one is judged by ethnicity or religion,” he said in a special interview on Bernama TV’s Timor-Leste’s Next Chapter: With ASEAN and Malaysia.

The pre-recorded interview aired on Wednesday, was conducted by Bernama TV programme anchor and Head of Programmes Gerard Ratnam.

Ramos-Horta also underscored the country’s linguistic richness as another contribution to ASEAN, with Tetum and Portuguese as official languages, and English and Bahasa Indonesia as working languages.

“Our young people are polyglots, with many speaking five or six languages, including Spanish, Chinese and Korean. Timorese are curious, eager to learn, and very open to engaging with foreigners. That is our richness,” he said.

The president stressed that Timor-Leste enjoys “unlimited freedom of the press and political rights.”

“No journalist has ever gone to jail in Timor-Leste, and no media outlet has ever been shut down for accusations of defamation. But I always remind journalists to investigate thoroughly before publishing. Words matter, and careless reporting can create tensions that lead to violence,” he said.

He said Timor-Leste’s values are highly resonant with ASEAN’s vision of “leaving no one behind,” stressing that inclusivity must go beyond poverty alleviation to ensure minorities are not neglected or forgotten.

He cautioned against the misuse of technology, citing past tragedies where propaganda fuelled genocide and conflict, adding that in the age of social media and artificial intelligence, responsibility in communication is paramount.

On his personal legacy, Ramos-Horta said: “There should be no child that goes hungry, no child undernourished, and no domestic violence at home or in schools. That is the legacy I want to leave behind.”

The youngest nation in Southeast Asia is set to be officially admitted as the 11th member of ASEAN during the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur at the end of this month.

Gaining its independence on May 20, 2002, Timor-Leste formally applied to join ASEAN in 2011.

The accession will mark a significant milestone for the regional bloc, as Timor-Leste becomes the first new member in 26 years.

-- BERNAMA