https://www.scmp.com/rss/516794/feed Syed Nizamuddin Bin Sayed Khassim is an administrative and diplomatic officer with the Malaysian government. He is a Khazanah-OXCIS scholar who completed his MSt in diplomatic studies at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. He also holds a masters in public administration from the University of Malaya, and co-founded MyDiplomacy, a movement focused on empowering Malaysian youth with diplomatic opportunities. He previously served at the Malaysian Embassy in Paris. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com In 2025, Malaysia will take on the rotating chairmanship of Asean. Having long sought to position itself as a central player in the Indo-Pacific, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations finds its centrality increasingly challenged. Ensuring Asean’s relevance will require Malaysia to successfully navigate three key challenges: managing US-China rivalry, reconciling internal divisions, and addressing the crisis in Myanmar. Each issue underscores the regional grouping’s strategic... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3289492/3-challenges-facing-malaysia-ensure-asean-remains-relevant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3289492/3-challenges-facing-malaysia-ensure-asean-remains-relevant?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Dec 2024 08:30:09 +0000 In today’s rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, nations are forced to navigate an increasingly complex and precarious set of global alignments. The world is not yet fully multipolar, but we are seeing more nuanced forms of engagement that can be described as “multi-multi” behaviour. These include “multi-alignment” – entering conditional, context-specific partnerships while maintaining strategic loyalty – and being “multi-regional” – leveraging the growing influence of regional blocs in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3281222/how-southeast-asias-diplomatic-dance-sidesteps-great-power-ensnarement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3281222/how-southeast-asias-diplomatic-dance-sidesteps-great-power-ensnarement?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Oct 2024 12:30:09 +0000 Malaysia’s anticipated accession to Brics has sparked considerable discussion among political analysts. Has Malaysia forsaken its strategic posture in favour of aligning more closely with China? This perspective misinterprets Malaysia’s long-standing strategy of hedging and the implications of what joining Brics would mean for the country. While Malaysia aspires to join Brics, it is also a member of the United States-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. Furthermore, Malaysia and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3268059/malaysias-brics-bid-affirms-rather-abandons-its-diplomatic-values?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3268059/malaysias-brics-bid-affirms-rather-abandons-its-diplomatic-values?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Jun 2024 21:30:08 +0000 As a linchpin of China’s economic presence in Southeast Asia, Malaysia enjoys long-standing trade ties with the world’s second-largest economy, with trade volumes nearly doubling from US$106 billion in 2013 to US$203.6 billion last year. Malaysia is China’s second-largest trading partner in a region that is increasingly important in Beijing’s foreign policy vision and initiatives, including the Belt and Road Initiative and Global Development Initiative. Yet challenges remain, and both Beijing... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3236301/how-malaysia-and-china-can-deepen-ties-amid-south-china-sea-disputes-and-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3236301/how-malaysia-and-china-can-deepen-ties-amid-south-china-sea-disputes-and-us-china-rivalry?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Oct 2023 05:28:41 +0000