Ideological factors and Indonesia-Malaysia political relations 1961-1971

This article discusses the ideological factors and their impact upon Indonesia-Malaysia’s political relations during the period 1961-1971. The ideological factors i.e. the democracy-capitalist and communist-socialist, greatly influenced the political relations between the two Southeast Asian countries during the bipolarity era. The ideological factors had a close relationship with the hegemonic powers’ (the United States and the Soviet Union) activities in Malaysia and Indonesia. The nature of political relations between Malaysia and Indonesia was based upon ideological factors. The changes in political relations between Indonesia and Malaysia after 1965 were dominated by the changes of political ideology in Indonesia (i.e. from communist-socialist to democracy-capitalist). Indonesia after 1965 under Suharto’s regime was a pro-capitalist state. The similar political ideology after 1965 between both countries influenced the political relations. The ideological factor was one of the vital factors in analysing Indonesia-Malaysia political relations during the period of 1961-1971

Kuasa hegemoni dan kestabilan ekonomi politik antarabangsa

Artikel ini membincangkan kepentingan Teori Kestabilan Hegemoni dalam memahami pembentukan kestabilan dan ketidakstabilan ekonomi politik antarabangsa. Mengikut teori ini, peranan yang dimainkan oleh sesebuah kuasa hegemoni sangat penting dalam membentuk kestabilan ekonomi dan politik antarabangsa. Tanpa kewujudan sebuah kuasa hegemoni yang betul-betul kuat dalam sistem antarabangsa, maka kestabilan antarabangsa sukar untuk diwujudkan. Data-data sekunder digunakan dalam kajian ini bagi menganalisis peranan yang dimainkan oleh kuasa hegemoni dan kestabilan antarabangsa. Kajian ini merumuskan bahawa peranan yang dimainkan oleh sesebuah kuasa hegemoni sangat penting dalam membentuk kestabilan dalam ekonomi politik antarabangsa. Ketidakstabilan politik antarabangsa dan kemelesetan ekonomi dalam dekad-dekad sebelum Perang Dunia Kedua 1939 meletus mempunyai hubungan rapat dengan ketiadaan sebuah kuasa hegemoni yang benar-benar kuat dan berupaya memainkan peranan yang berkesan dalam sistem antarabangsa. Great Britain telah berada dalam keadaan terlalu lemah (dalam tempoh 1919–1939) dan Amerika Syarikat pula enggan (atau belum benar-benar mampu) memainkan peranan sebagai kuasa hegemoni baharu menggantikan Great Britain. Sementara itu, Liga Bangsa-Bangsa tidak berfungsi dengan berkesan dalam tahun-tahun 1930-an kerana tidak wujud sebuah kuasa hegemoni yang benar-benar kuat. Keadaan ekonomi dan politik antarabangsa yang lebih baik dan stabil selepas tahun 1945 banyak dipengaruhi oleh peranan yang dimainkan oleh Amerika Syarikat sebagai kuasa hegemoni baharu. Sesebuah institusi antarabangsa tidak mungkin dapat berjalan dengan lancar dan berjaya mencapai matlamatnya tanpa sokongan kuat daripada sebuah kuasa hegemoni

Malayan Economic Policy and Socio-Political Development 1948-1963: Domestic and Global Factors.

This paper discusses the Malayan economic development (and its policy) and the socio-political development in the late 1940s until 1963. The situation in Malaya was not stable during that period. Two groups were emerged in Malaya, first pro-British and the second group was pro-communist. The emergency period that was declared by the British in June 1948 because of the unstable situation in Malaya (the conflict between the communist group and British Malayan government/Alliance Government after 1957). The British with cooperation by the Malayan people was successful in managing the conflict. Economic development and socio-political policies were used as strategies in defeating the communist movement in Malaya. The findings in this paper are; the domestic situation in Malaya during the period 1948-1963 was not free from the global political development (i.e, the Cold War that emerged in Europe in late 1940s between the United States and the Soviet Union; the strategy and policies taken by the British/independence pro-British government in Malaya applied and considering the bipolarity struggle (Cold War between Communist and the West) and; Malayan pro-West and anti-communist foreign policy under Tunku Abdul Rahman (first prime minister of Malaya) contributed to the positive development of independence Malaya. Without strong support from the British and Western powers and right foreign policy decision by Tunku Abdul Rahman, it was impossible to achieve a positive level of development and political stability during the period of 1948-1963 (Malaya might be controlled by the communist group and became a communist state like North Vietnam in 1954). Keywords: Malaya, Emergency period, Cold War, pro-British, Communist, economic development, Tunku Abdul Rahman

The Malaysian Federation in 1963 and the Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation: An Analysis of the Bipolar International System

This paper discusses the formation of the Federation of Malaysia and the Indonesian objection to it from the perspective of the bipolar international system. The confrontation policy launched by Indonesia in September 1963 ended in April 1967 when Suharto became president. Why did the policy and bilateral relation change after the fall of Sukarno? We assess that the systemic factor strongly influenced the Indonesian policy towards Malaysia. The bilateral relations between the two countries shifted after April 1967 as a result of the changes that took place in Indonesian domestic politics. Western powers, especially the United States, had supported Suharto’s ascension to power, with the purpose of avoiding the formation of a communist state in the region. This paper demonstrates that the systemic structure has strongly influenced the Indonesian policy towards Malaysia. The changes in the domestic politics of Indonesia could be considered a part of the United States’ strategy of blocking communism from spreading in Southeast Asia

Ideological Factors and Indonesia-Malaysia Political Relations 1961-1971

This article discusses the ideological factors and their impact upon Indonesia-Malaysia’s political relations during the period 1961-1971.  The ideological factors i.e. the democracy-capitalist and communist-socialist, greatly influenced the political relations between the two Southeast Asian countries during the bipolarity era.  The ideological factors had a close relationship with the hegemonic powers’ (the United States and the Soviet Union) activities in Malaysia and Indonesia.  The nature of political relations between Malaysia and Indonesia was based upon ideological factors. The changes in political relations between Indonesia and Malaysia after 1965 were dominated by the changes of political ideology in Indonesia (i.e. from communist-socialist to democracy-capitalist). Indonesia after 1965 under Suharto’s regime was a pro-capitalist state. The similar political ideology after 1965 between both countries influenced the political relations.  The ideological factor was one of the vital factors in analysing Indonesia-Malaysia political relations during the period of 1961-1971. Keywords: Indonesia, Malaysia, ideological factors, bipolarity, the United States, the Soviet Union.

Malaysia- The Philippines Political Relations 1961-1965: Domestic and Systemic Factors

This paper discusses and analyse the factors responsible to the political relationship between Malaysia and the Philippines during the period 1961-1965. The focus discussion is on the Sabah issue and the formation of Federation of Malaysia in September 1963 and its impact to the Malaysia-Philippines political relations.  Why the relations and conflict between Malaysia and the Philippines was different as compared to the Malaysia-Indonesian relations during the same period? How was this political relationship related and responsible to the domestic, leadership, regional and systemic factors? The position of the Philippines and Malaysia in the international and regional bipolarity political structure is important in understanding the above issue. How significant was the roles played by the United States and the Great Britain in international politics during the Cold War period had influenced the regional political relations between Malaysia and the Philippines. The United States and Great Britain was the great player in the international bipolarity structure and the regional politics after the Second World War. The diplomatic relations of Britain with Malaysia and the Philippines with the United States influenced the type of the political relations. Why did the United States and the Great Britain gave strong support to the formation of Federation of Malaysia in 1963? What was the relationship with the communist containments in Southeast Asia and generally in the Asia Pacific region, the political relations of Indonesia with China and the Soviet Union.  The above characteristic of relationship enables to explain why the relations of Malaysia-Indonesia and Malaysia-the Philippines were different during that period. Power configuration in the bipolarity structure is importance in analysing the political relations between Malaysia and the Philippines.  It is also important to discuss the relationship between leadership, domestic, regional and systemic factors. All of the factors influenced the political relations between Malaysia and the Philippines during the period 1961-1965. Keywords: Domestic factor, systemic factor, hegemonic power, Malaysia-Philippines relations, The United States, Great Britain, bipolarity structure

Colonial policy and the impact to the politico-economy stability after independence: The case of Indonesia under the Dutch and Malaysia under the British

This paper discusses the colonial policy of the Dutch in Indonesia and the British in Malaysia. Both colonial powers had different economic and political policies in their colonies. The Dutch in Indonesia implemented direct control, integrated development and economic centralisation. The British in Malaysia implemented different policies where the British administration was indirect control. Traditional political structure was not totally abolished by the British. The Malay sultan and local elite still maintained although the real political power in the British resident. The British run the modern and traditional development (Dualistic development) where modern economic activities dominated by the British and immigrant from China and India. Chinese labour actively involved in tin mining and retails business while Indian in rubber industries. The majority of Malays (as native people) stay in traditional village and did not actively involved in modern economic activities. Both colonial policies gave different impact to the Malaysia and Indonesia after Second World War and after independent day. The way how Indonesia gained independent (with five years struggle 1945-1949) and the lack of pro-Dutch dominant political group influenced the instability and the level of Indonesian economic development. The Malaysian peace way (with negotiation) of gaining independent from the British and the existing of dominant pro-West (and anti-communist) political group influenced the political stability and better level of economic development in Malaysia

Merenung pilihan raya ke-13: Melayu gawat, Barisan tergugat?

Artikel ini membincangkan kedudukan dan pencapaian politik orang-orang yang bakal dihadapi oleh orang-orang Melayu dalam pilihanraya umum ke-13, berasaskan pilihanraya umum ke-12 pada tahun 200

The Indonesian economic development after 1965: developmental state, radical politics and regional cooperation

This paper discusses the Indonesian economic development after 1965 under the "new order" administration led by President Suharto. After the collapsed of radical politician under Sukarno, "developmental group" under Suharto control Indonesian politic

The theory of hegemonic stability, hegemonic power and international political economic stability.

This paper discusses the importance of the Theory of Hegemonic Stability in understanding the stability and instability in the international political economy. This paper concludes that a hegemonic power is very important for international political economic stability. Without a strong hegemonic power the stability in economic and politics is impossible