On 8 August 2024, the IDFR Distinguished Lecture Series featured His Excellency Dave Malcomson, High Commissioner of South Africa to Malaysia on a lecture entitled ‘Diplomacy in an Era of Geopolitical Contestation’. 115 participants from various organisations, including diplomatic corps, government officials and members of academia from think tanks and universities attended the talk at the IDFR Auditorium.
H.E. Malcomson has built a distinguished career contributing to South Africa’s international diplomacy. After graduating in 1988 with a BA in International Relations and an LLB in 1991 from the University of Witwatersrand, his diplomatic career began in December 1991 when he joined the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), now known as the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO). Among the highlights of his career are serving as the Chief Director of the Regional Organisations Desk, with special responsibility for the 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit. He acted as the Sous-Sherpa for Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS), India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) from 2018. His Excellency is now the High Commissioner of South Africa to Malaysia and the non-resident High Commissioner to Brunei.
The event commenced with a welcoming remark given by YBhg. Dato’ Syed Bakri Syed Abdul Rahman, Director General of IDFR, and was moderated by Dr Murni Wan Mohd Nor, Expert Researcher of IDFR. During the talk, H.E. Malcomson explored the impact of major power rivalry on global geopolitical dynamics and emphasised the potential for Malaysia and South Africa to collaborate on shared interests to help preserve global stability in the face of ongoing geopolitical challenges.
Among many important on-going issues he touched upon were on the Palestinian - Israel crisis, in which he pointed out that South Africa will always utilise its experience in negotiating transitional experience, supporting capacity-building, and facilitating inter-Palestinian dialogue to support peace efforts. He mentioned that South Africa’s foreign policy position on Palestine has been consistent and has displayed support at multilateral, regional and bilateral levels since 1994, aligning with its firm stance to ensure Palestine’s sovereignty.
Aside from that, he also emphasised the significance of Malaysia and South Africa collaborating to navigate the current geopolitical landscape through multilateral platforms, as he believes both countries have a ‘Shared Destiny in a Changing World’. He highlighted key avenues for cooperation, including South-South Cooperation, BRICS, IORA, the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as essential channels for both countries to address global challenges and strengthen their strategic partnerships.
The lecture concluded with an engaging Q&A session with the audience.
Prepared by:
Mr. Muhammad Izzat Mohd Alias
Centre for Political Studies and Economic Diplomacy (PSED)
