A 1983 examination of the defence agreement for the Malaysia-Singapore region.

This book offers an interesting and informative account of the often fractious account of two countries in the heart of Southeast Asia. It outlines the primary issues that plagued relations between Malaysia and Singapore in the last fifty years and the political, diplomatic and legal initiatives taken to address them. The author gives a first-person narrative of the seemingly endless behind-the-scenes episodes that have brought the love-hate relationship to where they are today. He further delves into the vast reservoir of information on the rocky bilateral relationship to provide a reasonable argument over why Malaysia has behaved as it has since 1965. Exhaustive records of, among others, minutes, letters and documents are brought to light to substantiate the Malaysian view in relation to issues of contention with Singapore. Coming from an insider with more than four eventful decades in the Malaysian Foreign Service, it will be an eye opener for many.

Summary: "Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is often seen as the sole author of the country's foreign policy. Malaysian Foreign Policy in the Mahathir Era shows that while Mahathir's personality, leadership style, political ideology and brand of nationalism unquestionably had a deep impact, so too did domestic issues and external forces associated with globalization. The book examines seven major foreign policy initiatives of the Mahathir period: Buy British Last, Anti-Commonwealth, Look East, Third World Spokesmanship, Regional Engagement, Islamic Posturing and Commercial and Developmental Diplomacy. In discussing these topics, the author explains the significance for foreign policy of communal concerns, the regime's need to maintain its own authority in the face of political and social initiatives (some rooted in Islam), and its desire to achieve national development. He also discusses external pressures, including Japan's regional designs, Singapore's defense posture and the growing importance of China for the region. The approach breaks away from the elitist decision making styles and single factor models usually employed to explain the foreign policy of developing nations, and establishes a direct link between domestic politics and foreign policy during the period studied, suggesting that the latter was truly an extension of the former."--Publisher description.

First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Originally published in 1972, this book examines the scope and possibilities for small states in the conduct of their foreign policies. In the introduction the editor discusses the problem of defining the term ‘small state’ and outlines the restraints they face and the type of international roles they play. The subsequent chapters analyse the foreign policies of Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Zambia, Israel, Cyprus, Cuba, Singapore and New Zealand. In each study the author examines the factors which shape that country’s foreign policy objectives, the organizational structures employed to formulate and implement foreign policy, the type and level of international involvement and the methods used to deal with the political, economic and security issues which make up and stem from the external policies. The book will be of interest to specialists and students of government, foreign policy analysis and other branches of international relations

First Published in 2005. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

"Ho Ying Chan provides an expert analysis of Malaysia–Indonesia relations. He demystifies the concept of a 'special relationship', rescuing it from woolly, sentimental rhetoric that often emanates from political figures and popular commentators. His well-informed study shows how a state’s will to survive in the amoral world of international relations drives its conduct even in circumstances of common identities and common strategic interests with other states. He evaluates comparative evidence to shed light on how a special relationship leads to the emergence of a pluralistic security community. This is a conclusion of insight and value, not only to the field of Southeast Asian Studies, but also to the wider community of International Relations scholars." — Professor Clinton Fernandes, University of New South Wales, Australia "Empirically rich and theoretically interesting, this book offers an illuminating account of how material and ideational dynamics shape the evolution of Malaysia–Indonesia relations. Focusing on what is arguably the most vital bilateral relationship in Southeast Asia, it addresses the circumstances, conditions and constraints that determine the double-edged effects of the culturally bound 'special relationship'. Ho Ying Chan argues that while their shared serumpun identities and strategic interests do give rise to a considerable closeness between Malaysia and Indonesia, the politics of power (im)balance have prevented the transformation of the special relationship into a 'pluralistic security community', as their egoistic understanding averts the formation of collective self. The book generates useful insights on the interplay of cross-border cultural affinity and political necessity, inviting readers to ponder the politics of identity and survivability at the international level. It is a welcome addition to the growing literature of Southeast Asian international relations." — Dr Kuik Cheng-Chwee, National University of Malaysia (UKM) "Ho Ying Chan’s important study brings home the international and theoretical significance of the interaction between Malaysia and Indonesia, the two major states of Muslim Southeast Asia — products of the territorial division between the British and Dutch colonial empires. This welcome and revealing review of the Malaysia–Indonesia story deepens our understanding of the concept of a 'special relationship' — explaining both the cooperative and competitive dynamics that can be present, and the way such relationships are influenced by state identities and power imbalances." — Anthony Milner, University of Malaya; University of Melbourne