Myanmar has shown no indications it wants to lead ASEAN next year despite being entitled to under an alphabetical rotation system, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Wednesday.

Singapore will now assume leadership of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in July 2007, after the Philippines takes over from Malaysia later this month, he said.

“I think Myanmar still feels that they are not ready to take the chairmanship of ASEAN and to host the ASEAN meetings so they miss their turn,” Syed Hamid told a news conference.

“At present Myanmar has not given any indication that they are desirous of the post.”

At ASEAN’s annual meeting in Laos last year, military-ruled Myanmar abandoned its chance to chair the bloc for one year from late 2006 because of international pressure over democratic reforms.

Myanmar’s official reason was that the country was not ready to lead ASEAN as it needed time to focus on its reform program.

Under a formula that allowed Myanmar to pass up its chance, ASEAN foreign ministers had agreed that the country could retake the chair if it was ready to.

“Myanmar has not given indication that they want to take (leadership of) the summit. So long as they do not say anything, they will miss their turn. They have missed their turn and we’ll go on with the alphabetical (order).”

Chairing ASEAN involves setting the group’s agenda and hosting a series of meetings, including the leaders’ summit in December and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in July.

The ARF is Asia’s top security arena, which includes the foreign ministers of ASEAN as well as the United States, Russia, Japan, China and India.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.