Former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Asean has an important role in maintaining balanced ties with global powers such as the US and China. PETALING JAYA : Former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob says US president Donald Trump’s visit to Malaysia this month must be considered within the framework of international relations. “When I was prime minister, I spoke at the UN calling for the abolition of this veto power because it causes every decision against Israel to fail. Trump confirmed his attendance at the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur, scheduled for Oct 26 to Oct 28, during a phone call with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. As Asean chair, Malaysia has also extended invitations to the summit to Russian president Vladimir Putin, Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.