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MALAYSIAN STUDIES : ASSIGNMENT 3

1. DISCUSS MALAYSIAS ROLE IN REGIONAL AND WORLD AFFAIRS. INTRODUCTION Malaysia 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 SouthSouth 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 RELATIONS
ASEAN 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 firm, symbolizing precisely the agreement of countries in the region. In the spirits of solidarity,

MALAYSIAN STUDIES : ASSIGNMENT 3

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 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 Drug Abuse and Heroin Trafficking v. ASEAN Industrial Project vi. ASEAN Economic Minister Coference commodities Cooperation among countries in the Mekong Valley Programs i. Elimination of smuggling actives and communist threat ii. Kuala Lumpur Declaration-27 November, 1971 iii. ZOPFAN iv. United Nations Conference On Strategies Regional cooperation Shared boundaries Consultation and joint patrol Maintains relations with the Peoples Republic in China Supply and Purchase of basic

MALAYSIA AND WORLD AFFAIRS The Commonwealth Organization is an organization of former, independent British colonies. The organization symbolizes an association of effective interwoven networking that holds together the

MALAYSIAN STUDIES : ASSIGNMENT 3

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. Nams 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 worlds 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.