National Defense in the Resolution of Border Disputes: The Experience of Indonesia and Malaysia

Abstract

The issue of national defense predominantly refers to the protection of the sovereignty of an independent state. This article addresses such aspect country’s sovereignty as the inviolability of borders.The objective of this research is to investigate how the dimensions of national defense, including both military and non-military factors, contribute to the resolution of border disputes between Indonesia and Malaysia. Specifically, the study aims to explore the role of economic growth and infrastructure development in the borderlands as crucial elements in the broader context of national defense and territorial sovereignty.The methodological basis of the research constitutes а qualitative method, triangulation technique, and purposive techniques (interviews and focus group discussions). The research finds that institutions to handle problems at the border already exist, but there are still some obstacles at the technical level; for example, centers and regions have problems with their coordination. This research contributes to the field by highlighting the existence of institutions for border issue management, addressing technical obstacles, emphasizing the role of economic factors, and underscoring the importance of considering transnational crime threats. It is concluded that today when solving border issues, it is also necessary to pay attention to economic well-being and the threat of transnational crime, if the last is considered from a non-traditional security perspective.