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Roadmap for Malaysia’s political, economic diplomacy
New Malaysia — a label now popularly used to describe the new Pakatan Harapan government, which took over the administration following the May 9 elections — has been carrying out widespread reforms to clean up corruption and restore the people’s trust in government
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ew Malaysia — a label now popularly used to describe the new Pakatan Harapan government, which took over the administration following the May 9 elections — has been carrying out widespread reforms to clean up corruption and restore the people’s trust in government.
These reforms have been led by the seventh and current Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, also the country’s fourth PM, having served from 1981 to 2003.
Despite the corrective measures being implemented by New Malaysia, rest assured that there will be no major shift in the principles of the Foreign Ministry, known as Wisma Putra.
Some “sacred” and fundamental principles will be retained, including Malaysia’s commitment to non-alignment and friendly diplomatic relations with all nations, while new emphasis and greater rigor will be placed on principles implemented in the past, but sidelined under the previous administration.
These include rejuvenating Malaysia’s proactive role in ASEAN, continuing its “Look East Policy” (with added emphasis on education and human capital development), and revisiting the Langkawi International Dialogue and the South-South Cooperation.
Malaysia will also extend regional-based focus to Africa and other developing regions — while not losing sight of relations with major superpowers.
New Malaysia will continue to strive for peace and stability through diplomacy with all nations regardless of ideology and political system, especially with its ASEAN neighbors and other like-minded developing nations.
New Malaysia will also seek to rejuvenate its role in the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the United Nations, and other multilateral organizations — especially in efforts to end injustice and oppression, and uphold international law.
This is especially pertinent to new and emergent concerns like violent extremism, climate change, refugees, human trafficking, terrorism, international and financial crimes and cyber security.
These have become global issues that need to be addressed in multilateral forums at global and regional levels.
Malaysia will also strive to regain its stature as a leading example of an inclusive and moderate, progressive Muslim-majority nation, predicated on principles of democracy, good governance, freedom, human rights and sustainable development.
Also on the top of the priority list is the strengthening of Wisma Putra by building on and amplifying existing capacity. Wisma Putra will reorient itself as a force-multiplier in ensuring effective coordination of international policies of all ministries, agencies, business corporations and civil society organizations within the nation, towards progressing Malaysia’s international affairs.
Wisma Putra will do this by working with other ministries to enhance coordination and cooperation on issues with foreign implications.
New Malaysia will continue to strive for peace and stability.
To this end, I have proposed the setting up of a Parliamentary Select Committee to address broad ranging and complex foreign policy issues involving numerous domestic and international actors.
Measures will be put in place to strengthen and reorient public diplomacy. Wisma Putra will start by improving consular services and protection of citizens living abroad through long-term human capital development strategies aimed at producing world class diplomats.
These will include multilingual proficiency, conflict management, negotiation skills and peace building.
These measures will be amplified through the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) and the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), both of which are agencies aimed at development and research in diplomacy, international relations and the exchange of views at both the national and international levels — which will no doubt aid Wisma Putra in forming the best policies.
We will also commit to setting up a consultative council within Wisma Putra, which will consist of experts from the private sector and civil society, ex diplomats and ambassadors, academicians and experienced officers from within Wisma Putra itself. There is a wealth of knowledge, experience and wisdom from non-government players involved in foreign policy which we must capitalize on.
These, together with other strategic micro-measures in the pipeline, will build towards Wisma Putra’s new vision of fostering a vibrant international studies community, enabling the free flow of ideas, dialogue and practices between government and non-government sectors for the good of Malaysia’s international relations.
Foreign policy is increasingly embedded in domestic affairs, and a robust foreign policy must stem from a strong domestic base with the support and input of all players. These measures will solidify Wisma Putra’s role as a force multiplier, enabling the country to punch well above its size and weight.
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The writer, Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Minister who was sworn in on July 2, will attend the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Singapore next month and the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September. His latest book is New Politics 2.0: Multiracial and Moderate Malaysian Democracy (2017).
