MEANINGFUL “VOICE OF ASEAN” IN LEGISLATION MAKING: THE IMPACT OF AIPA’S COMPLEMENTARY ROLE IN REGIONAL

Abstract

This paper assesses whether, and through which mechanisms, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) can shape domestic legislation within ASEAN’s sovereignty-preserving order. It reconceptualises AIPA’s contribution as a conversion function that translates regional deliberation into nationally usable legislative inputs. The analysis focuses on three questions: how AIPA channels structured constituent preferences into parliamentary agendas; how institutional constraints, non-binding outputs, uneven parliamentary capacity, and weak interfaces with ASEAN policy cycles—condition effectiveness; and which design features most reliably produce domestic uptake. Drawing on institutional and legalization literatures, the paper specifies a practical sequence of domestic consultation, regional comparison, national drafting with shared definitions and model clauses, and peer-visible follow-up for example through the AIPA Caucus. Evidence and comparative practice indicate that these tools lower drafting and coordination costs, clarify problem frames, and support incremental cross-jurisdictional convergence. The conclusion is that supranational law-making is unnecessary for now; parliamentarising practice offers a credible path to meaningful legislative impact.