ABSTRACT
Malaysia currently enjoys the most peaceful period of its history since Malaya gained independence from Britain in 1957. When Malaysia (formed in 1963) signed the peace accord with the Communist Party of Malaysia in December 1989, the long insurgency war that began in 1948 finally ended. Externally, the divide between capitalist Southeast Asia as represented by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the socialist Indochinese states has ceased with the end of the Cold War. In fact, there have been many political and economic contacts between these two subregions, so much so that Vietnam has already been accepted as a member of ASEAN. Although the end of the Cold War has brought some uncertainties to the strategic environment, there is much hope and optimism in the region, mainly predicated on economic development and political stability. This security profile examines the current and future security trends Malaysia faces. It begins by providing a brief background on Malaysia’s concept of security.
