Regime Change and Malaysia – Japan Relations: Explaining Shifts and Continuity In Foreign Policy

Geetha Govindasamy,Muhammad Danial Azman

doi:10.22452/ijeas.vol9no1.6

Abstract

The article offers an initial exploration into the causal linkage between domestic political regime change and foreign policy recalibration in Malaysia. While not popular, the notion that foreign policy objectives are more often than not shaped by internal dynamics is rather true in the Malaysian case. The discussion examines Malaysia’s relations with Japan during the Pakatan Harapan government which began in May 2018 but collapsed by February 2020. After being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Malaysia for the second time, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad pledged to re-energize the Look East Policy to facilitate economic growth and investments into the country. Though the move was far from surprising, the consequence of the development needs to be understood within the broader context of Malaysia’s domestic ties with China. Malaysia’s move to expand cooperation with Japan can be explained by a desire to reduce overreliance on Chinese investments. The basic premise is that Malaysia was not tilting towards Japan, rather the move to court Japan through the LEP 2.0 was a function of regime legitimation through which Pakatan Harapan diversified its foreign policy partners for the goal of expanding investment and collaboration opportunities.

Highlights

Changes are permanent features of foreign policy decision-making of any government
The basic premise is that Malaysia was not tilting towards Japan, rather the move to court Japan through the LEP 2.0 was a function of regime legitimation through which Pakatan Harapan diversified its foreign policy partners for the goal of expanding investment and collaboration opportunities
The discussion explores Malaysia’s relations with Japan during the administration of the Pakatan Harapan /Alliance of Hope (PH) government which began in May 2018 but collapsed unexpectedly by February 2020 via a coup by Muhyiddin Yassin

Summary

Geetha Govindasamy and Muhammad Danial Azman*

The article offers an initial exploration into the causal linkage between domestic political regime change and foreign policy recalibration in Malaysia. The discussion examines Malaysia’s relations with Japan during the Pakatan Harapan government which began in May 2018 but collapsed by February 2020. After being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Malaysia for the second time, Dr Mahathir Mohamad pledged to re-energize the Look East Policy to facilitate economic growth and investments into the country. Malaysia’s move to expand cooperation with Japan can be explained by a desire to reduce overreliance on Chinese investments. The basic premise is that Malaysia was not tilting towards Japan, rather the move to court Japan through the LEP 2.0 was a function of regime legitimation through which Pakatan Harapan diversified its foreign policy partners for the goal of expanding investment and collaboration opportunities

INTRODUCTION

FOREIGN POLICY SHIFTS AND CONTINUITY UNDER A NEW REGIME

CONCLUSION