EXAMINE THE MAJOR ISSUES AND CHALLENGES IN MALAYSIA-US POLITICAL RELATIONS IN THE POST- COLD WAR ERA INTRODUCTION

1. Malaysia-United States relations revolved around economy as the main theme.

Despite these positive dynamics, bilateral relations between two countries have a times been strained. Differences between the two nations stem from disagreement over such issues as the Israel-Palestinian, human right, economic and 2. Post Cold War.., opened a new chapter in the relations between two countries.

World New OrderWar Against Terrorisms. EconomicUS hegemony..unilateral

BACKGROUND OF MALAYSIA-UNITED STATES RELATIONS 1. Malaysia had developed her relationship with the United States of America as

early as the time of British colonization towards Malaya. At the beginning, the United States viewed Malaya as part of Far East that was important in economic reasons, particularly in trade. Malaya had caught the eye of America as part of a larger Southeast Asia area that rich with tins and rubber which were important for America tinplating industry, automobile industry and its involvement in World War I and II. 2. Malaysia-United States political relationship continues after Malaya gained its

independence in 1957 and Malaya was established its embassy in Washington and United States upgraded its Consulate General in Kuala Lumpur into an embassy. In the early stages of independence, Malaya at that time was under the administration of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Hajj displayed itself as the pro-Western and anti-Communism. Hence, America had seen Malaysia as the key to stop the communist expansion in the Southeast Asia region during the four decades of Cold War. The United States was

particularly concern with the movement of Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) which was claim to have direct connection with Communist China. During this time, political interest that took Centre stage in the United States Malaya relations. The United States tried to persuade Malaya to join the Southeast Asian Treaty Organization (SEATO) but Malaya refused to join in (refer to m/s 51 Siravanamuttu). However bilateral relations in military relation between United States was establish indirectly through the British in Anglo-Malayan Defence Arrangement (AMDA) now known as Five Power Defense Management (FPDA). At the same time Malaysia still keep close relation in military training with US since 1984. Joint training still ongoing such as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training(CARAT) since 1995. This is all part of Malaysia response for power asymmetry in maximizing return and also power acceptance option. This shows that Malaysia and US still have a god ties between state. 3. In the Cold War Periods, The United States was interested in keeping Malaya on

its side to against Communism. During the 1950s and 1960s, Southeast Asia was a power vacuum owing to their lack of unity, political instability and stagnation in the economy. United States view this situation as very dangerous for fear that Soviet and Chinese power would attempt to flow in this region. Therefore, Vietnam was viewed as part of the international frontier separating the Communist and non- Communist world. Malaysia was part of the plan in the United States containment strategy. Even though Malaysia did not send troops in Vietnam War, Malaysia supported US effort by giving military equipment from its Emergency period to South Vietnam, and by training South Vietnamese personnel in jungle warfare and police administration (Pamela Sothy Malaysia-US Relation page 3). 4. With the fall of Vietnam in April 1975, Malaysia and United States were

increasingly concerned about communist threat, thus leading both countries continues their security cooperation. Relation economic, defence become strongerUS China..

ISSUES IN MALAYSIA-UNITED STATES RELATIONS POST COLD WAR

7.

After the collapse of Soviet Union, United state become the only superpower... ..Hegemony. superpower..new threat is terrorism (after 9/11 accident). PM Abdullahs government wished to promote close cooperation extends into other areasnotably, education, defense and in counter-terrorism initiatives. e.g setting up of Southeast Asia Regional Center for Counter Terrorism( SEARCCT). This is to promote Malaysias perspective on the most effective means of dealing with terrorism.

Middle East Issues.

7.

Malaysia particularly critical of the United-States double standard on the

Palestinian issue, which it views as one of the principal motivations for radicalism and terrorism. Malaysia had linked the issues of state terrorism with Israels action in the occupied Palestinian land by criticizing Washingtons reluctance to pressure Israel not only on a matter of possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), but also on its non-compliance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions pertaining on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. The conflict has been an issue that often piqued Malaysia against the USS Middle East policy. Malaysians sympathy with the plight of the Palestinians has also led to the often outburst on Zionism by Malaysian leaders. Prime Minister Mahathir condemned.statement.(Oct 2003 Mahathirs anti- Jewish Remark during Tenth Islamic Summit Conference, Putrajaya The Europeans killed six million Jews out of twelve million, but today Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them. page 18. Pamela Sodhy Malaysia-US Relations 2000-2011, P 18. This statement provoked some ruffles in the Malaysia-United States relation.

USs Militarism. 8. Malaysia has been critical to the United States pursuit of unilateral actions, first

Gulf War 1991 (using Resolution 678 -US launch full scale Military (massive bombardment of Iraq). Malaysia also not agreed the aggression action by the U.S. Afghanistan in 2001 and then in Iraq in 2003. The Prime Minister, Mahathir condemned the USs bombing of purported terrorist and military targets which caused heavy civilian

casualties. Prime Minister spoke out that the attacks in Afghanistan could not be justified as there were Afghans who are not Taliban followers. He called for understanding about the root cause of terrorism and for a definition of terrorism. (Pamela Sodhy, 2003). The Malaysian Government opposed Washingtons military actions against Baghdad as part of the extension of war on terrorism. The Prime Minister Mahathir argued that Iraq was merely a side issue in the terrorism war. In particular, Kuala Lumpur believed that reformulation of American Policy towards Israel and Palestine is the key for solving the problem it was not dismantling of Islamic militancy. As the war progressed, Malaysia continued to express opposition to the invasion of Iraq based on the principle of legality and always maintained that the US offensive in Iraq was carried out without the UN Security Councils sanction. 9. Under Prime Minister Abdullah there has been much continuity on the issue of

Iraq which Malaysian Government has maintained its position that the US-led invasion was unlawful and unnecessary. In January 2004, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar declared that Washingtons real reason for going to war in Iraq was regime change, not the prevention of WMD proliferation or the defeat of terrorism.(Ian storey, Malaysia and the United States 2004-2005: The best of Times). During 2004 Prime Minister Abdullah himself criticized the Iraq Operation on a number of occasions. In July 2004, at a conference of Malaysian Heads of Mission, Abdullah addressed the dangers of Americas unchecked power in the international system and the uneasiness world-wide that a single country is globally dominating all the military, economic, political and cultural dimensions of power. (Ian storey, Malaysia and the United States 2004-2005: The best of Times). The Human Right Issues 10. The human right issues have caused constant problems in relations between

Malaysia and United States. The United States had expressed concern that preventive detention laws such as the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) and the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 allow for abuses such as detention without trial or charge. The American also concerned about Malaysias alleged

restrictions on media freedom. To the Americans, the Malaysian Government maintains its control through a network of laws curbing free expression, as well as through direct day to day monitoring and control of the media. Malaysia has also often been criticized for its lack of independent judiciary system. It is related with the Operation Lalang crisis of 1998, in which the government under Prime Minister Mahathir removed several senior judges deemed likely to challenge government policy.(US Department of Stats: Country report on human right-2006.) 11. Other issues related with human right that affect Malaysia-United States relations

is treatment of prisoners in American detention centers in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib by the American troops. In early 2002, the Malaysian Government submitted a memorandum to the US embassy voicing such protest. The Dato Sri Anwar Ibrahim Issue 11. In September 1998, Dato Sri Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from his position as

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance by Prime Minister Mahathir on the charges of corruption and sexual misconduct. The United States condemned the Prime Minister Decision and linking that action was politically motivated. US Vice President Al-Gore, during the 1998 APEC Summit in Kuala Lumpur openly proclaimed his support for the Reformasi movement. During his speech Al-Gore hailed the brave people of Malaysia for seeking reforms in Malaysia.(A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (Kuala Lumpur: MPH Group Publishing Sdn. Bhd, 2011), 615 . Relation become more strain after Anwar was sentenced to six years in prison for corruption in April 1999. The United States criticised the Mal action was politically motivated. On 13th August 2000, the US Secretary of state, Madeleine Albright during interview with AFP stated that Malaysia deserved a better leader than Mahathir. This statement had again received a stringing rebuke by the : Foreign Minister as had gone beyond accepted norms and practices of good bilateral relations. (outrage at meddling Albright. Her statement has gone beyond fair comment. The Star 15 Aug 2000.) Approach to the Issue of 1997 Economic Crisis

12.

In 1997, Malaysia and the region were hit by a financial crisis. In its attempt to

mend the situation, Malaysia introduced controversial currency controls with pegged the Malaysia Ringgit to the US Dollar, required all Ringgit to be sent back to Malaysia and prevented the Ringgit from being taken out of Malaysia for at least a year to stabilize the stock market and protect Malaysia from destabilising short-term outflows of foreign capital. These policies however was not accepted well by the United States as it went against International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank precriptions for the stricken Southeast Asian nations, such as fiscal restraint and the cutting of subsidies (Pamela Sodhy, Malaysia-US Relations 2000-2011 p.7). When Prime Minister Mahathir singled out George Soros as the man responsible for the crisis, the United States labeled him as anti-Semitic. To the united States, the crisis was due to the lack of transparency in bussines dealing, the collusion between government and business, and structural weaknesses in the Asian economies. The SCOMI Issue 13. The issue arose when Bush gave a speech at the National Defence University

(NDU) in Washington D.C on 11 February 2004. Bush Speech was devoted to the issue of WMD proliferation, and in it he spoke about the Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khans sale of nuclear technology to countries such as North Korea, Iran and Libya. Bush revealed that one of Khans middlemen, a Sri Lankan by the name of Sayed Abu Tahir, was living in Malaysia .(The Associated Press, March 1,2004). Tahirs company had ordered high-speed gas centrifuges from a Malaysian Company, Scomi Precision Engineering. Tahir claimed the equipment was for use in the oil and gas industry in one of the Gulf States. The equipment was shipped to Dubai but the reloaded onto ships bound for Libya. In late 2003 German and Italian authorities intercept the shipment. The seizure of the shipment occurred while British and American officials were in talks with Libya over its WMD programme. The NDU speech irked the Malaysians because Bush singled out Malaysia without mentioning ed in Khans any other countries involved in Khan network.(The Associated Press, March 1,2004). Moreover, the Mlaysian Government felt the President had called into question Malaysias commitment to non-

proliferation. The issue even more sensitive was the fact that Prime Minister Abdullahs son Kamaruddin Abdullah, was one of Scomis company directors. USs Interest in the Straits of Malacca

14.

The Strait of Malacca, which straddles Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, is one

of worlds most strategically important waterways. More than 50,000 vessels per year traverse the strait, carrying on third of global maritime trade and half the worldss oil. There is question on how best to ensure straits of Malaccas security particularly from terrorist activities such as hijack of oil or chemical tanker which can turn to be a weapon which can attack port facilities in Southeast Asia. In March 2004, Admiral Thomas Fargo, The Commander US Pacific Command suggested the idea that United States special forces be positioned in Malacca Straits to be able to deal with any terrorist attack in that area. This idea was part of US new counter terorism initiative under the Regional Maritime Security Initiative (RMSI) and Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) which designed to increase cooperation between the United States and other countries to identify, track and interdict maritime security threats.Malaysia rejected the idea on the grounds that the presence of US Forces would infringe their sovereignty and that it would fuel Islamic extremism in the region. Malaysia prefers an arrangement, where the actual interdiction will be done by the littoral state. (Malaysia opposes U.S help in Straits of Malacca,
Global Security Newwire http://www.nti.org/d_newwire?issues//.

15.

Malaysias deputy premier also Defence Minister Najib, response that is not

need the US to patrol the Straits of Malacca and Malaysia doesnt have any plan to seek US Military help to guard the straits, and that it is responsibility of the littoral states to perform these tasks. (Chapter 2: Malaysia-US Relations, Pamela Sodhy, Razak Baginda page 41). Deputy Prime Minister Najib responded that Malaysia and Indonesia already had joint sea and air operation at Strait of Malacca.

Economic Issues 15. Despite strong trade and investment ties, Malaysia and United States have,

at times taken different approaches to international trade regimes. The United States promoted the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping, which was established in Canberra in 1989 and included the United States, Australia and New Zealand as well as nations of East and Southeast Asia. Malaysia has instead been in favour of the East Asian Economic Caucus as a regional trade grouping that would be limited to Asian nations and exclude the United States. PM Abdullah during his management stressed the importance of Malaysia-US trade relations- the US and Malaysia have a profound and deep relationship ; beneath the occasional political rhetoric, there are strongly positive numbers. Malaysia is the US 10th largest trading partner . For Malaysia, US is our not only our largest trading partner, but an important source of investments.

CHALLENGES 1. US unilateral.Policy towards Middle Issue, Islam, anti terrorisme. Will create a

different perspective view in between both countries. Malaysia point of view in term of terrorist that it need to be handle from the root cause. It happened because of impartial justice of international society in dealing with Palestinian issue with israel. Meanwhile US is practicing aggressive and putting pressure using military power towards country that claim to be terrorist country.

2.

Malaysia as a country that majority of muslim, US policy regarding international

issue especially towards islam always been monitored by Malaysia citizen. Current government have to response accordingly in dealing with this issue in fulfilling Malaysia citizen and at the same time to gained support from islamist in Malaysia in surviving of the ruling party UMNO. 3. After post cold war, US become single power and tendency as super power to

used its military forces in projecting as world police is unavoided. In this context, Malaysia does not agree in unilateral approaches by US in solving an issue pertaining to conflict that in the end couses war. This will further escalate certain issue and increases sentiment for muslim country and jihadist activist.

CONCLUSION

After examine all the issue related between Malaysia and US political relation in the post cold war era, we can conclude that all the issue had arise because of different view of perspective in solving certain issue. Started with middle east issue create attention among Malaysian citizen which saw US adopting double standard in settling this issue. It reflects Malaysian government point of view in determining political relation ties with US in order to gained full support from citizen. Despite all the issue that have been mentioned above such as human right issue, SCOMI issue, Straits of Malacca issue, Dato Sri Anwar Ibrahim issue the political relation between US and Malaysia is still playing a very important roles in supporting Malaysia in terms of economic and political stability. Under the current Prime Minister the relationship can been seen close and good ties have achieve and economic bind between both country create future good relationship.