ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how these factors changed over time through the examination of these several key periods to help understand why Kuala Lumpur has maintained some distance from Washington and the likelihood of them forming a patron–client pair. It argues that Malaysia is likely to seek a patron, but the likelihood of it seeking the United States as a security patron is less clear, hampered largely by cultural differences and a blend of positive and negative shared historical experiences. Washington’s decision to interject in the confrontation crisis was a watershed moment in Malaysian–US relations. Malaysia’s Muslim majority has been an influential characteristic in the Malaysian–US relationship, but this factor grew considerably over time. For Malaysia’s perceived external threats, the Indonesian threat during confrontation resulted in closer relations with the United States, but perceptions of a Chinese threat have been less clear.
