A broken rules based order: Why Malaysia is staging a come back?

September 16, 2024

KUALA LUMPUR – WHILE Aug 31 is often seen as Independence Day, otherwise known as “Merdeka,” Sept 16 marked the formation of the Federation of Malaysia with the inclusion of Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore in 1963.

Although Singapore would consent peacefully to leave the Federation of Malaysia 22 months later, in August 1965, it is essential to note Singapore’s emphasis on regionalism.

This approach aimed to create a stable region larger than the sum of its parts. Thus, on Aug 8, 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) was born.

The original founders of Asean included Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines. The founding document placed significant emphasis on social, cultural, and economic cooperation as key drivers of Asean integration.

Although it is easy to take Asean for granted, it is from this entity that more than 1,500 meetings are established at Track 1 and Track 2 diplomacy across the Asia-Pacific, according to the National Institute of Research Agency (Nira) in Tokyo. While many call Asean irrelevant in the age of “Great Power Rivalry,” it has spawned entities like the East Asian Summit (EAS), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Comprehensive Progressive Transpacific Partnership (CPTPP), Regional Cooperation on Economic Partnership (RCEP), and has even embraced the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Indo-Pacific Economic Cooperation (IPEC).

While Malaysia cannot claim credit for all of the above, including the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) and Asean Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADM Plus), it is equally important not to exclude Malaysia or the original founders of Asean and Brunei.

Cambodia joined Asean in 1999, while Myanmar, Laos, and