MALAYSIA’S presence at the recently concluded United Nations (UN) General Assembly, brimming with optimism and anticipation for the nation’s economic and soft power resurgence, unfortunately, fell short of seizing a greater opportunity to demonstrate the country’s global resurgence in terms of its role, impact and influence.
The UN is divided, and the world remains split along the economic, ideological and security lines. The UN is increasingly seen as losing relevance due to the impasse within the UN Security Council and the non-binding nature of the UN General Assembly.
The rise of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and the emergence of the Global South, with various factions seeking to assert greater influence and control, have spurred the motivation for power alignment.
From Brazilian President Lula da Silva to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the tussle for the bloc leadership, challenging the Western hemisphere, has further eroded the efficacy and benefits of global multilateral mechanisms.
As UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres pointed out in his address, the growing rift and the race for global power and supremacy, influenced by divisions between the North and South as well as the East and West, along with the separation of economic and security power blocs, continue to pose a challenge to ensuring sustainable peace.
Malaysia is at a crossroads in its foreign policy and global standing intiatives, and the litmus test is whether our long-standing commitment to neutrality and non-alignment can effectively navigate the challenges posed by renewed power rivalries.
Recent policy measures have indicated a tendency towards strengthening relation-ships with regional and long-standing partners and organisations.
The question is whether the country will continue to hedge its bets on the Global South, Asean and the rise of middle powers, and capitalising on the best of both worlds in its neutral model or proven values-based approach for long-term assurance and normative frame-work espoused by the West.
Reluctance to escape past dogma
On one hand, Malaysia is trying to strategically navigate the bipolar rivalry and bloc divisions between Beijing-led East/South and Washington-led West/North but the strategy seems to have lost its lustre.
Malaysia is now caught in the middle of a big transition and geopolitical shift, and how we position ourselves remains critical in shaping regional power and in ensuring our future economic resilience and security.
Malaysia’s condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during the address is a breath of fresh air. Although this condemnation is welcomed, the West realises that there will not be major changes in Malaysia’s orientation as Malaysia is reliant on Asean as a collective voice.
By initiating a meeting with Iran and Iraq, and with closer ties with Ankara, Malaysia is seen to send a message to the West, China and the Global South.
To the West, it implies that Malaysia still has fallback options in security and defence support and does not see the West as the only source of security.
This gives Malaysia more options in dealing with China and the West.
This also suggests that Malaysia still has considerable external deterrence and security support apparatus and bulwark, mechanisms and defences, apart from the Western-focused security frame-work.
The UN General Assembly sees a recurring trend of maintaining peace and the demand of developing nations to have equal represen-tation in terms of international trade and financial system, singling out the West as the main root cause for the economic and security imbalance.
Malaysia’s position on common progressive values, fairness, social justice and neutral stance in pushing for cooperation in regional and global prosperity has been well known.
Reimagining soft power
The theme for this year’s debate is “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity”, with a focus on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Malaysia has been a leading proponent for most of the SDGs, including green and digital economy, climate responsibilities, poverty eradication and socioeconomic targets.
Malaysia needs to re-evaluate its approach to enhance its global position and leverage future growth indicators, especially in sectors such as palm oil, rare earth, semiconductors and other geographical advantages to play to our advantage.
However, despite the various reiterations of Malaysia’s position and strategy to elevate our global reputation, we have yet to address the heart of the issue in presenting a clear, consistent and bold reform and transformation to attain these goals.
Malaysia must be seen not just from the prism of institutional and balancing power trap. We cannot afford to remain under the architecture of a regional institution or a powerful neighbouring economic and security force and be confined to the role of a middle or small power.
How we choose our next approach depends on how we balance our interests in the economic and security realm. It also depends on whether we have the conviction to break free from our conventional and entrenched policy measures of the past and face the reality of the future.
One of the scenarios includes a setting where the current liberal global order of rules-based mechanism and the Western-led normative values will stand the test of growing autocratic practices and threats to peace that have safeguarded the UN Charter and ties among nations. This is where our actions in supporting this decades-old order directly and boldly will determine our legacy and progress.
Democracy vs autocracy
Minilateralism is being railed against, and the US has been called out for pursuing a bloc mentality and a minilateral and direct approach with targetted countries instead of a true multilateral engagement.
Direct bilateral and minilateral approach is taking grounds with growing importance simply because the impact and efficacy of a multilateral platform have been dwindling for years.
Asean and the UN remain the prime examples of how and why a multilateral platform has been dominated by certain powers or been trapped by an endemic perspective and policy affiliation.
Minilateralism and certain regional and global institutions have long remained benign and ineffective, and have failed to adequately uphold the core principles and tenets they have been founded upon, being beholden to conventional dogma and influence-seeking activities of other powers.
US President Joe Biden has urged the world to stand up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during his speech at the UN General Assembly and has consistently raised the urgency of the fate of democracy and freedom against the onslaught of oppression, autocracy and the mantra of might is right.
How can Malaysia, as a participant, navigate its stance on this critical issue, especially considering its potential impact on global security?
This remains the ultimate call for a bold adherence to justice, freedom and rights of all players to play by the same set of rules, and for a just, equal and peaceful global order.
Wise and bold new positioning
America and the West have been projected to decline, and the argument that it is now the dawn of the Asian century and the Chinese century has been the central narrative.
For us to be influential and to regain our new standing, we need to have consistency and conviction in our stance. The Global South leadership will be contested among the small circle of elites, including Brazil, China, Russia, Turkey or the Middle Eastern states.
In the OIC (Organisation of the Islamic Conference), rising powers, including Jakarta, Tehran Riyadh and Ankara, will be leading the new drive of influence.
We are trapped by the dogma of our position, in finding our way either in regional organisations such as Asean, or to reclimb our position in bigger minilateral platforms.
Growing internal tussle in the Global South and the East in using these platforms to leverage against Western dominance and in challenging the conventional global system has also been a growing risk to the states and remains a future threat to the rules-based order.
How we face these new turbulences remains a critical factor, and the common sense approach is to be wary of any passionate jumping onto the bandwagon of perceived new trends and power shifts.
Malaysia has been known for its rising influence in areas of politics, including cooperation in environment, socio-economic issues, common development and progressive humanitarian uplifting.
Malaysia must have a clear and consistent stance, especially on the rule of law, rules-based order, human rights and freedom, and the sanctity of democracy and rights of all nations in respecting international norms and rules.
Building understanding and connecting bridges in digitalisation, education and mobility of talent as well as in knowledge and skills training programmes in new sectors are crucial.
We remain a sought-after nation by rival powers due to our growing strength and advantages in food and energy security as well as critical resources, including rare earth, chips industry and semiconductors, role in supply chain resilience and geostrategic offerings. These must be utilised well to secure our future global positioning, security and economic returns.
The writer is a foreign affairs and security strategist at Universiti Malaya. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
