June 15, 2010
National War College Review // United States Naval War College
Abstract:
TheMalacca Strait is a narrow waterway that extends nearly six hundred nauticalmiles
fromthe Andaman Sea to the South China Sea, betweenMalaysia
and Indonesia. The strait provides a vital shipping lane for vessels sailing from
Europe and the Middle East to East Asia, as well as smaller vessels on local voyages.
Unfortunately, when we think of the Malacca Strait, images of a waterway
infested with pirates often spring to mind.
While this image could arguably have been justified in the past, it is now rather
outdated. According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which produces
quarterly and annual reports on piracy and
armed robbery against ships, there were only three successful
and four attempted attacks by pirates on shipping
in the Malacca Strait in 2007. While piracy has certainly been a concern in the waterway
in the past,with reported attacks reaching seventy-five in 2000, the number
of cases has been falling since 2005, largely as a result of a number of countermeasures
introduced by the three littoral states of Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
This decrease in attacks was achieved despite a 10 percent increase in
cases worldwide.
This article will discuss the reduction in pirate attacks in the Malacca Strait
and how the attacks themselves have changed over the last decade. Themeasures
attributed to the reduction will then be discussed, as well as the underlying principles
and attitudes that have shaped these initiatives. Particular attention will
be given as to how the issue of sovereignty, a principle of utmost importance in
Southeast Asia, has impactedmultilateral and bilateral cooperative efforts to address
the transnational problem of piracy, including a series of International
Maritime Organization (IMO) meetings convened to tackle pressing issues affecting
the safety and security of shipping in theMalacca Strait. The conclusions
will make recommendations regarding issues that require further action....
September 22, 2009
Stanford Journal of International Relations // Stanford University
Abstract:
Piracy in the Straits of Malacca is a large and growing concern for the world. Not only does it cause economic havoc in a critical region, but this piracy may also have connections to terrorism and has the potential to cause an ecological disaster. However, attempts by outside states to establish security regimes have repeatedly run into sovereignty concerns from the coastal states in the region: Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Instead of persisting in this failed strategy of externally imposed solutions, interested parties should focus on aiding the creation of an internal security regime through aid and logistical support. Building the capacity of the local navies to patrol the region is the most acceptable and effective solution towards ending piracy in the long run....
June 6, 2008
Turkish Journal of International Relations
Abstract:
Though terrorism has existed for more than 2,000 years, the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. brought
international repercussions unlike any previously experienced. In response to the attacks, the U.S.
immediately attempted to build a broad-based anti-terrorism coalition in what is known as the “War
against Terrorism” (WAT) or “War on Terrorism.” Malaysia has its own experiences with terrorism,
such as during the ‘communist emergency’ of the 1950s. In light of Malaysia’s unique history in
overcoming terrorism and the present-day WAT, this study aimed to explore Malaysian’s perceptions
of the WAT. Findings from the study indicate that Malaysians hold mostly negative views on the
WAT, i.e.: they doubt the intentions of the US government; they view the WAT as a fight against
Muslims and as a means for US control; they view the military approach as ineffective; they perceive a
conscious effort to link terrorism to Islam; they view the Western media as being insensitive to non-
Westerners and they believe that the WAT has had little impact on reducing terrorism due to hidden
political agendas. Qualitative findings from the study stress the need for counter-terrorism policy
makers to identify the root-causes of terrorism in order to develop appropriate socio-economic
programs for the poor, marginalized, discontented and discriminated groups in societies....
December 21, 2007
Jebsen Center for Counter-terrorism Studies
Abstract:
It has been five years since the devastating terrorist attacks by Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) in Bali
killed some 202 people, making it the most lethal terrorist attack since 9/11. In the three
years that followed, JI perpetrated attacks on an annual basis. Since the most recent attacks
in October 2005, JI has suffered a string of defeats, including the November 2005 killing of
its master bomb-maker, Dr. Azahari bin Husin. Since then, JI has not been able to perpetrate
a major terrorist attack against western targets, though it has reached advanced stages of
planning before being thwarted. In June 2007, JI’s two senior-most leaders, Abu Dujana
and Nu’aim, were arrested, a blow that raised questions about the group’s future.
This article, the first in a series on the state of terrorism and insurgency in Southeast Asia, will
identify JI’s prospects in the coming years and explain the group’s resiliency....
May 31, 2007
Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity
Abstract:
To the extent that Horizontal Inequalities (HIs), or inequalities between groups in access to economic, social and political resources, are an important source of conflict, then correcting them should form a significant aspect of policy design in the post-conflict period. The paper reviews what this might mean in relation to policies towards group access to assets and incomes; to social services; and political participation. It argues that the types of policies aimed at correcting group inequalities, in fact are fairly common in ethnically divided societies, sometimes taking the form of corrections to unfair processes, and sometimes of quotas and targets. Moreover, in some cases (including Malaysia and N. Ireland) they seem to have been effective in sustaining or promoting peace. Yet, despite their importance in many post-conflict situations, they rarely form an explicit part of the post-conflict development agenda. This is illustrated in this paper by reviewing general statements about post-conflict policies, and through examining two case studies - Mozambique and Guatemala. In each of these cases, HIs were one of the sources of conflict. Yet in Mozambique these have been ignored in the post-war era, and in fact most policies have tended to accentuate them, while in Guatemala some of the peace protocols did contain provisions which would have helped correct the HIs but these mostly have not been put into effect. Political obstacles can prevent such policies being adopted, such as in Guatemala. Moreover, the policies need to be adopted with political sensitivity as they can become a source of conflict themselves, as arguably occurred in Sri Lanka....
Malaysia 
