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33 Focus in Continuity: A Framework for Malaysia's Foreign
Policy in a Post-Pandemic World - A Monograph
Civilization (ISTAC), International Islamic achieve foreign policy goals. It is not a
University Malaysia (IIUM), Professor two-way flow in the sense that the major
Datuk Dr Osman Bakar, Founder-Director powers were only interested to mobilize
of PUSAKA and Senior Fellow of ISIS the cultural resources of the colonies.
Malaysia, Mr Eddin Khoo, and Malaysia (Malaya), being a British colony,
anthropologist and intercultural specialist, subscribed to this definition, meaning that
Dr Asma Abdullah. The discussion the cultural resources are for the colonizer
was e ectually moderated by the to use to achieve their foreign policy
Director-General of IDFR, Dato’ Dr objectives. After achieving independence,
Shazelina Zainul Abidin. these countries, including Malaysia (then
Malaya) tried to interpret what are the
Malaysia’s Definition of Cultural cultural resources and their foreign policy
Diplomacy goals. Therefore, it is not surprising that
cultural diplomacy was limited only to
According to Professor Osman, every music, dancing, dress, cuisine, buildings
country tends to have its perspective of and religious festivals. Later, the
what cultural diplomacy is, and its understanding of the cultural resources
significance di ers as every country has expanded and more recently cultural
di erent experiences. Malaysia’s cultural diplomacy is redefined as an exchange
diplomacy, therefore, is best understood of ideas, information, values, systems,
when it is viewed in the light of its traditions, beliefs and other aspects of
historical background. In the colonial culture with the objective to promote
period, the Western countries developed mutual understanding. This new definition
theories and practices of cultural is di erent from the previous one as
diplomacy in pursuit of their foreign policy it emphasizes mutual understanding,
goals in the political climate of intra- and dialogue is recognised as an
Western rivalry. In the cultural domain, for important aspect of cultural diplomacy.
which education is the core component, Additionally, the range of cultural
each Western country pursued policies resources also has become very large that
that were meant to demonstrate and it has become none other than what can
establish that it is better than and superior be called ‘civilization diplomacy’, which
to all other powers. As for the colonies makes a lot of sense in the context of
themselves, they were only on the Samuel Huntington's clash of civilizations.
receiving end. The growth of indigenous
culture was only tolerated as long as it was Professor Osman further added that
subservient to Western culture. In reality, education has become an important
however, the cultural flow was a one-way aspect of cultural diplomacy. In the past,
or unilateral a air. Malaysia did not receive foreign students
to study in Malaysia and Malaysia only
In the post-colonial era, this classical sent local students abroad. Malaysians,
definition of cultural diplomacy survived therefore, got to learn about other cultures
for some time. According to this definition, while Malaysian culture remained
cultural diplomacy designates a policy unknown. However, these days, Malaysia
area or branch of public diplomacy which also receives students from abroad,
seeks to mobilize its cultural resources to implying inevitable cultural exchange.