January 8, 2010

Foreign Policy of Malaysia: A Critic

Ask yourself who is Foreign Minister of Malaysia? At first, I myself hesitate and try to find the answer from files of cutting old newspapers. But I could not find it and try to ask my friends outside my office room, but they too do not know. At last we realized the frame picture of Cabinet Ministers hanging at my office. Are we, at my office ignorance about the general knowledge? Or something wrong with the Foreign Minister policy of our country? I think during the Prime Minister of Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak the Foreign Minister and the policy of Foreign Minister at least for the time being at the lowest ebb. Why that is happened?

Do the Prime Minister too busy and gave full attention to promote the 'One Malaysia' campaign? Or not only Foreign Minister, but Prime Minister himself lack of courageous and confidence to facing the global situation? We see the Prime Minister despite attending several foreign and oversea meetings such as to China, France and America just at the stage of introducing himself to the leaders of the world, but not to introduce policy and foreign policy of Malaysia. As far as we knew our Prime Minister did not outlined cabinet foreign policy clearly when he replaced Tun Abdullah Badawi as Prime Minister. Remember, during the tenure of Tun Abdullah as Prime Minister at one time and simultaneously we were the leader of Asean, Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), Non Alliance Nations and member of many organizations. We were very active, our ideas were heard by world and well known as the Third World Leader! But all the glorious times and valuable experiences had gone. Although we are no more the leader of any organizations, but no one to stop us from propose or suggest brilliant ideas for the benefit of the organization and for our country ourselves.

Sadly to say we are no more use Asean as a platform to discuss and solve problems facing by Asean countries such as conflict between Thailand and Cambodia, the problems of Myanmar Junta Regime, Southern Thailand and Southern Philippines. If we sincere to active Asean why we were not discuss between our fellow Asean to develop among our Asean countries such we Malaysia – advance in education to offer through our foreign policy, such as to Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar our expertise in education to advise the government in that field. If we are pro-active why we not establish such "Peace Corps" that we could send our teachers to the countries need our help. For the long time we could advice the government and the students to further their study to our high learning institutions or universities in our country. The same pattern as Thailand advance in agriculture could help Asean countries with their expertise in agriculture, so the Singapore has a vast capital could help and lend their money to promote education, agriculture, industry and others among the Asean countries.

Apart from Asean, Malaysia is considered as advance and active country in education, religious and economy, although we are no more chairman or leader in OIC, we are still have a voice to suggest any proposal and agenda for the benefit of our brothers among the Islamic countries especially in education and religion such as exchanges professors and students between high institutions and universities of Islamic countries, offer grants or places to students from Islamic countries to further their education to higher learning institutions and universities in our country. Cooperation and agreement could be made between Islamic countries on the basic of win-win situation in petroleum, agriculture, industry, tourism and transportation etc.

We can ignore the Non Alliance Nations Organization as it focus to third world that no more relevance in the era of globalization. It is just the historical event that frozen. It would remember how the suppressed countries struggled for their independence and now the time as such struggle already over. Now is the time to face reality by the same countries from the third world and countries from other worlds. In fact to divide countries into classes of the world are no more relevant. In other word we are all same as the sons of our mother world. Again as we are the same, as the member of the world, through our foreign policy we must stand still, brave and creative facing the world and suggest to the world what could benefit to human kind such as conference and campaign to green the world, how to lessen the conflict among the neighbor of nations, how to work together to fight decease, poverty and working together in education, agriculture, science etc. Our involvement may be at international or regional level. What we want, our Foreign Minister and our foreign policy must active and creative that could build our dignity as a respect nation in the world.

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