By Mehmet Enes Beşer It is the story of the emerging economies that Malaysia, by and large, has been referred to as a low-profile achiever — a country whose internal complexities, notwithstanding, has experienced an even economic rise during the last fifty years. Underneath the surface level of its stupendous GDP statistics and furious industrialization, however, is more of a ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer The way warfare has never changed in linear fashion, nor has Malaysia’s search for a place in the defense industry testified to the inbuilt complexity. The modern-day battlefield demands urgency, precision, and seamless implantation of technology on land, sea, skies, and in the cyber sphere. For Malaysia, a nation historically more sensitive to traditional dangers and ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer The promise of a “New Malaysia” first captured global attention in 2018, when a surprise electoral upset ended sixty-two unbroken years of Barisan Nasional coalition government. Pakatan Harapan coalition win—and return to politics of veteran politician Mahathir Mohamad—was welcomed as a democratic victory, a harbinger that Malaysia was poised to redefine itself politically, economically, and diplomatically. ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer The Malaysian CVE experience has attracted regional and global attention both as a pioneering legislation and because of its complex security, political, and religious dynamics. Malaysia has utilized a multidimensional toolkit of hard and soft power responses from the Malayan Emergency insurgency during the 20th century up to the current threat from transnational Islamist networks and ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Few problems were as nakedly exposed as that of how Malaysia managed labor migration, the tension between political vulnerability and economic necessity. Malaysian economic hegemony for decades driven by, foreign migrant workers in the tens of millions–no less a proportion arriving on its shores illegally–have toiled all-encompassing in an attempt to drive its growth. Even in ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer The Straits of Malacca and Singapore are among the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, serving as vital arteries for global trade and energy transportation. Their strategic significance has made them focal points for geopolitical interests, necessitating robust mechanisms to manage potential conflicts and ensure the uninterrupted flow of commerce. Strategic Significance of the Straits The Straits ...
By Mehmet Enes Beşer Malaysia follows a complex and highly challenging foreign policy as it strives to balance economic relations with China while maintaining strategic cooperation with the United States, particularly concerning sovereignty claims and regional security in the South China Sea. This balancing act is shaped by Malaysia’s geopolitical dynamics and national interests. This analysis examines the various dimensions ...