MALAYSIAN STUDIES : ASSIGNMENT 3

1. DISCUSS MALAYSIA’S ROLE IN REGIONAL AND WORLD AFFAIRS.

INTRODUCTIONMalaysia plays an important role in establishing cooperation in various directions through active

participation in diverse areas like trade, environment and social development. Ties of unity aligned

along regional understanding are very important for building up a network of sustained sharing among

Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Malaysia through the Association of Asian

Nations (ASEAN). Universality in the more and more complex process of development and

advancement, for example, technology and knowledge, requires South East Asian countries to come

together through commonly approved external policies. Cooperation in politics, security, culture,

respect for freedom, sovereignty, regional stability and non-interference in the United Nations

Organisation. Malaysia continues to be openly committed, based on regional and international

cooperation, to the creation of universal peace. Malaysia actively plays a role according to her

capability in efforts to help other developing countries through various programmes such as the South-

South Dialogue. Regional and international cooperation is important as a way of benefiting more

efficiently from resources and enhancing her competitiveness in a new era of international cooperation.

MALAYSIA AND REGIONAL RELATIONSASEAN is the Organisation of South East Asian Countries, set up following the Bangkok Declaration of 8

August, 1967. all five Foreign Ministers of the member countries at that time, Tun Adam Malik of

Indonesia, Tun Thanat Khoman Of Thailand, S.Rajaratnam of Singapore, Narcisco Ramos of the

Philippines and Tun Abdul Razak of Malaysia unanimously signed the declaration. On 7 january 1984,

Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN. In March 1999, Cambodia became the seventh member of ASEAN,

followed later by Vietnam, Myamar (Burma) and Laos making ten members altogether now.

ASEAN was build up because of the failure to build up a comprehensive sustained, unified regional

and international strength through the South Asia Organization (ASA). The failure of MAPHINDO,

established in August 1963 was also a reason for ASEAN to be set up as an organization that stand

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MALAYSIAN STUDIES : ASSIGNMENT 3

firm, symbolizing precisely the agreement of countries in the region. In the spirits of solidarity,

advantage is taken of the organization to avert all negative elements that can split ASEAN unity. The

concept of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) was implemented to underline the importance of the

aspect of maritime boundaries as a right for common economic exploitation like minerals and fishing. At

the same time, it is also to avoid political disputes among countries in the region.The firm ASEAN

solidarity policy managed to avert differences, for example, the Malaysia-Thai dispute over the maritime

zone between south Thailand and the state of Kelantan (1977); Malaysia- Indonesian disagreement

over the area in South China Sea and eastern Sabah.

ASEAN Objective:

Objective Programs Strategies

Speed up economic

growth, social and

cultural progress

Nature and protect

regional peace and

stability founded on

justice and the laws

based on the

Charted of the

United Nations

i. Elimination of smuggling

actives and communist threat

ii. Kuala Lumpur Declaration-27

November, 1971

iii. ZOPFAN

iv. United Nations Conference

On Drug Abuse and Heroin

Trafficking

v. ASEAN Industrial Project

vi. ASEAN Economic Minister’

Coference

Regional cooperation

Shared boundaries

Consultation and joint patrol

Maintains relations with the

People’s Republic in China

Supply and Purchase of basic

commodities

Cooperation among countries in

the Mekong Valley

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MALAYSIAN STUDIES : ASSIGNMENT 3

MALAYSIA AND WORLD AFFAIRSThe Commonwealth Organization is an organization of former, independent British colonies. The

organization symbolizes an association of effective interwoven networking that holds together the

former colonial territories as countries that are still united not just with British but with other former

British protectorates such as Australian. Today 49 members in the Commonwealth including Malaysia.

Malaysia uses the Commonwealth as a bridge for participating in various socioeconomic and political

activities. In the context, Malaysia is the Commonwealth Secretariat for drawing up technical

cooperation programs such as technology, management, and environment.

South-south cooperation is a strategic programs for strengthening friendly ties among members of

the Movement of Non-aligned Countries or “Non-Aligned Movement” specifically in the aspect of

protection of trade, banking and finance, price fixing and commodities, industry, information exchange ,

investment and technical cooperation. Nam’s 13th Conference hosted by Kuala Lumpur in February

2003 ended with a collective call to “seek justice and freedom from oppression and economic

hegemony, besides making war illegal to solve the world’s problem”.

As an Islamic nation, Malaysia is a respected role model because of her continual efforts at forging

closer ties with other Islamic countries in the world. Malaysian leaders have always try to enhance and

establish the glory of Islam, since the time of the first Prime Minister. The outcome of all this was the

decision to form the Organization of Islamic countries. The decision was made at the Conference of

Islamic Foreign Ministers in Jeddah. The Organization of Islamic countries, was set up in May 1971.

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