KUALA LUMPUR – Despite the potential for a Donald Trump presidency to alter the global geopolitical landscape, foreign policy experts assert that Malaysia’s commitment to international neutrality will enable the country to adeptly navigate any diplomatic turbulence.
Azmi Hassan, a geostrategist and senior fellow at the Nusantara Strategic Research Academy, noted that this would not be Malaysia’s first encounter with a Trump administration. He pointed out that Putrajaya maintained a strong relationship with Washington during his presidency from 2016 to 2020.
“If Vice President Kamala Harris won the elections, we would have to navigate that presidency differently because she would have a different foreign policy from Trump.
“The experience Malaysia had with Trump during his first presidency allowed us to learn what to expect with his foreign policy decisions as he returns to power,” Azmi said when contacted.
Turning to the Middle East and Malaysia’s pro-Palestine stance, which may cause tensions with the Israel-leaning United States, Azmi remarked that whether Trump or Harris is elected, the US will continue its unwavering support for the Zionist state.
He further argued that the current presidency under Joe Biden, which seems to moderate its pro-Israel position by also showing concern for Palestinians in Gaza, is simply a facade.
“For Malaysia or other Muslim countries, it may be easier to deal with Trump because of his forthcoming personality. With him, he doesn’t hide his views on the conflict.
“With his straightforwardness, it would mean our foreign policy decisions could be easier,” Azmi added.
Meanwhile, Samirul Ariff Othman, senior consultant at Global Asia Consulting, highlighted that under a Trump presidency, Malaysia may find itself engaging with a US that has renewed its focus on unilateralism. This could involve trade tariffs, transactional diplomacy, and a narrowing of alliances that could weaken traditional partnerships.
Trump’s “America First” agenda, Samirul noted, could strain regional unity within Asean, forcing Malaysia to further diversify its diplomatic ties.
“With such a shift, Malaysia would likely deepen ties within Asia, strengthen alliances with the European Union, Japan, and Australia, and bolster intra-regional trade agreements.
“In an ‘America First’ world, Malaysia’s foreign policy may pivot towards pragmatic diplomacy, maintaining the flexibility to engage the US as a partner, but on terms that secure its own stability and regional standing,” Samirul told Scoop.
On the issue of South China Sea tensions, Samirul pointed out that Trump’s past approach, driven by economic leverage and military posturing, suggests the incoming president might intensify US presence in the region. This could escalate tensions, making it feel more like a high-stakes game than a cooperative strategy.
While this could push back China’s territorial claims and appear beneficial to Asean nations, Samirul warned that Trump’s transactional diplomacy would force these nations to carefully consider their positions.
“Asean has always maintained a cautious unity over the South China Sea, focusing on multilateral dialogue to avoid directly challenging Beijing; a US policy driven by hard-nosed bargaining and selective alliances could strain this fragile unity.
Such a shift would likely challenge Asean’s ability to maintain its centrality and cohesion, as individual nations may find themselves weighing US security assurances against China’s economic influence, he added.
Security and political analyst Noor Nirwandy Mat Noordin, from Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Media and Information Warfare Studies Centre, agreed that Malaysia would be able to maintain positive economic and diplomatic relations with the US, regardless of who holds the presidency.
Nirwandy also suggested that a Trump administration would not drastically affect the geopolitical landscape of Asean.
“Malaysia’s neutral stance has given the country an edge as a middle power which would come as a benefit when we take the Asean chairmanship next year.
“Asean should be considered a good diplomatic platform for the US,” Nirwandy said.
According to the Associated Press, after US citizens voted on November 5, Trump secured 295 votes in the Electoral College, well ahead of Harris, who received 226. A minimum of 270 Electoral College votes is required to win the presidency.
As of the time of writing, Trump had garnered 73,407,735 votes (50.7%), while Harris had 69,074,145 votes (47.7%).
Trump first won the presidency in 2016, defeating former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. However, in 2020, he was defeated by Joe Biden, who had served as vice president under President Barack Obama. – November 9, 2024