Malaysia and the United States 2004-2005: The Best of Times?
Abstract
Malaysia is an increasingly important partner of the United States for a host of political, economic, and security reasons. Despite policy differences, the occasional public spat, and media mischaracterizations, in reality U.S.-Malaysia relations are quite robust and underpinned by strong fundamentals such as counter-terrorism cooperation, burgeoning trade links, and important military-to-military ties. Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, government-to-government ties have improved considerably despite Malaysia s opposition (albeit muted) to U.S.-led military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the environment of U.S.-Malaysia relations has become warmer and friendlier. This is partly an issue of personality, as Prime Minister Abdullah is not as outspoken or as critical as his predecessor Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, but also a reflection of the importance Kuala Lumpur places on its relationship with the United States. In December 2004 Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage described Malaysia as a political, economic, and strategic partner of great and growing importance. The Bush Administration has emphasized the positives in the relationship while downplaying the negatives. In the same speech Armitage pointed out that Malaysia and the U.S. were both democratic and multicultural countries that shared common values and beliefs. Armitage praised Malaysia for its leadership role in Southeast Asia, the Islamic community, and wider world. Washington recognizes Malaysia s regional and global influence. Malaysia is not only a key member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) but also concurrently chair of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and the 117-member Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA627434
Entities
People
- Ian Storey
Organizations
- Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies