The Legacy of Colonialism: Malaysia’s Foreign Policy Under Tunku Abdul Rahman

The impact of colonialism has been profound in shaping the foreign policies of postcolonial states. Malaysia, like several other Asian postcolonial states, has also been heavily influenced by its colonial legacy. This imprint was more noticeable in the way foreign policy was conceptualised, perceived and implemented during the initial years of independent Malaysia. Malaysia’s foreign policy has remained relatively consistent and coherent over the years, at least in rhetorical terms. It has often been characterised as a response to both exogenous and endogenous forces, i.e. geopolitics, domestic politics, leadership and pragmatism, etc. Colonization has not always attracted much attention. This chapter presents arguments to show that instead of merely being one of many, Malaysia’s colonial past has had a deep and meaningful effect on not only the shaping of Malaysia’s foreign policies per se but also on the men responsible in its shaping. For that purpose, this chapter focusses on Malaysia’s foreign policy during the administration of Tunku Abdul Rahman (1957–1970)—the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. This chapter looks into the role of colonialism and relations with the United Kingdom in influencing Malaysia’s politico-security and military outlook and its approach towards regional and international multilateral forums such as ASEAN and the Non-Aligned Movement. This chapter shows how Malaysia’s pursuit of a pro-western and anti-communist foreign policy in the early post-independence years was a direct by-product of Malaysia’s experience with colonialisation.