Abstract
The US-China trade war juggernaut has shackled the political, economic and social landscapes of nation states globally at varying degrees. While trade talks are still ongoing and President Trump has hinted at the possibility of an interim agreement, the prospects of both sides agreeing on a comprehensive US-China trade deal in the near-term remains cloudy. Several factors place Malaysia to be in interesting position. First, Malaysia has and is still a geopolitically important trading route. Being an integral component to the production house of the global supply chain of finished products, its economy depends highly on the movement of goods and global currency. Furthermore, Malaysia is dominantly attached to the Chinese economy. It implies the fact that trade protectionism in the U.S. has resulted into a slowdown of Chinese growth, which eventually will have a domino effect on the Malaysian economy. Worsening the situation, COVID-19 shuts down major operations in the world, disrupting global supply and chain. Countries react towards inward strategies, alleviating national security and domestic economies at the expense of globalization process. While we have passed the first wave and re-generating world economy, global economy trajectory is still deemed ambiguous. China, as major hub for manufacturing, supply and chain is affected and struggles to increase its GDP from 6.1% end of 2019. In surfacing this uncertainty, the seventh Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammed lays out three frameworks that guide the conduct of Malaysian foreign policy. First, Malaysia remains as an active discussant at all platforms which Kuala Lumpur is already a member. Second, it will communicate its influence towards any decision-making processes in platforms which Kuala Lumpur is not a member. Third, Kuala Lumpur will align with the increasing penetration of Industrial Revolution 4.0 and the blue economy. Should this be the way from 2020 onwards or new strategies ought to be crafted? What are the contemporary indicators Kuala Lumpur having to consider? Eventually, what could be the ultimate message Malaysia in positioning herself, which described her synergies and potential in near future? These questions will guide to examine the feasibility of Change in Continuity as a conduct of Malaysian foreign policy in near future.
Highlights
The Realm of Global UncertaintyMalaysia has continued to be triumphant at the global level due to its exemplary foreign policy
This study aims to explore the current dynamics of world politics in order to posit Malaysia’s Foreign Policy
The US-China Trade War and COVID-19 pandemic have both impacted world economy severely, which requires the establishment of new dynamics at the global level
Summary
The Realm of Global UncertaintyMalaysia has continued to be triumphant at the global level due to its exemplary foreign policy. When ‘Pakatan Harapan’ had come to power in a historic 2018 federal election, the challenges of the unprecedented coalition was to manage the trust of its electoral voters, and to instill confidence amongst international players that the government would not deviate from its conventional diplomacy and multilateralism. This was not an easy task, considering the dynamics and uncertainties of global interaction. The global uncertainties that were faced by the ‘Pakatan Harapan’ government and disrupted the world order are; U.S – China Economic Rivalry, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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