Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine Malaysia’s diplomatic relations with Syria through three periods: pre-Mahathir era, the first phase of Mahathir era (1981-2003) and the ‘inter-Mahathir’ years (2003-2018) - referring to the period prior to the return of Mahathir as Prime Minister for the second time in 2018. Ultimately, this study attempts to identify the key factors determining the nature of Malaysia’s bilateral ties with Syria during the Mahathir era. The methodology adopted for this study is qualitative in nature, relying on primary and secondary sources, the former being personal interviews conducted with Tun Dr. Mahathir himself and also with scholars in the field. This paper argues that during the pre-Mahathir era (1958-1981), relations with Syria were very much based on political and diplomatic considerations. However, during the Mahathir era (1981-2003) the emphasis changed due to the significant economic development and Malaysia’s foreign policy took a much more global approach. With this change, economic factors as a foreign policy determinant became more prominent as compared to the pre-Mahathir period. The inter-Mahathir years (2003-2018) did not witness any significant development except for the humanitarian support extended by the Malaysian government during the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011.
Highlights
Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Syria was first established in 1958 and it has been maintained for the last 60 years until today
It is noteworthy to mention that initial ties were very much confined to diplomatic relations as Malaysia was more interested in establishing relations with Egypt vis-à-vis United Arab Republic (UAR) in which Syria was coincidently part of
One of the challenges faced in the Malaysia-Syria ties was the question of priorities
Summary
Diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Syria was first established in 1958 and it has been maintained for the last 60 years until today. Prior to Malaysia’s independence, contacts had already been established between the Arabs and the inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula. It was the Muslim traders from the Middle East who contributed to the birth of Islam in Malaya (Ruhanas, 2009: 29). Works by scholars who have analysed Malaysia’s relations with Islamic countries - Nair (1997), Ruhanas (2009), Redzuan (2006), Sidin (2000), Asmady (2013), Asmady (2012) and Muhammad (1999) and the role of Islam in fostering diplomatic ties with fellow Islamic countries, especially the Middle East, will be considered for the investigation of Malaysia’s relations with Syria during the three different phases. It highlights factors that have influenced Malaysia-Syria relations throughout the periods under study
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