Phar, Kim Beng and Hamzah, Luthfy (2025) Malaysia need not be in the first island chain - with or without Japan's OSA. The Malay Mail, NA (NA). pp. 1-5.
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Abstract
This article examines Malaysia's strategic position amid intensifying Sino-American rivalry and the expanding security architecture of the Indo-Pacific, with particular reference to Japan's Official Security Assistance (OSA) and the strategic concept of the First Island Chain. It argues that Malaysia's geographical position, foreign policy traditions, and regional diplomatic role do not necessitate its incorporation into containment-oriented security frameworks directed towards China. While Japan's OSA offers opportunities to strengthen maritime domain awareness, surveillance, cybersecurity, communications, and humanitarian response capabilities, such cooperation should remain functional and distinct from military alignment. The article situates Malaysia's approach within the principles of strategic autonomy, neutrality, the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN), and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). It further contends that Malaysia's diplomatic credibility, reinforced by its 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship, derives from its ability to maintain constructive relations with competing major powers while supporting ASEAN-led regional mechanisms. As geopolitical and domestic political uncertainties intensify, Malaysia must avoid strategic entanglements that could constrain its diplomatic flexibility or undermine its position as a regional interlocutor. Ultimately, the article argues that Malaysia's security interests are best served through selective maritime cooperation, economic resilience, and strategic restraint rather than participation in the geopolitical logic of the First Island Chain.
| Item Type: | Article (Electronic Media) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Malaysia; strategic autonomy; First Island Chain; Japan's Official Security Assistance (OSA); ASEAN centrality; maritime security; Indo-Pacific; ZOPFAN; ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP); Sino-American rivalry |
| Subjects: | J Political Science > JZ International relations |
| Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button): | International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC) Office of the Rector |
| Depositing User: | Mr Muhammad Syameer Luthfy Bin Hamzah |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Jul 2026 10:14 |
| Last Update: | 21 Jul 2026 10:14 |
| Queue Number: | 2026-07-Q4190 |
| URI: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/130090 |
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