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India’s Strategic Pluralism and Malaysia’s Indo-Pacific Leverage - Part 1

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia comes at a time when the Indo-Pacific is being reshaped not by a single rivalry, but by overlapping strategic architectures. The region is no longer defined solely by the binary competition between the United States and China. Instead, it is increasingly characterised by fluid alignments, minilateral groupings, and contested norms. In this complex landscape, India’s unique positioning across BRICS, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) gives it an outsized strategic relevance for Malaysia and ASEAN. For Malaysia, acknowledging and leveraging India’s multidirectional presence is essential to preserving centrality, neutrality, and strategic autonomy in an era of mounting Indo-Pacific threats. India’s strategic pluralism as a stabilising force Unlike most major powers, India operates simultaneously across forums that are often portrayed as competing geopolitical camps. It is an...
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Bangladesh Vote Recasts Indo-Pacific Security Order

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Bangladesh’s 2026 general election was not merely a domestic political transition; it was a strategic inflection point with far-reaching consequences for South Asia and the wider Indo-Pacific. The decisive victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), paving the way for Tarique Rahman to assume leadership, ends nearly two decades of Awami League dominance and follows the political upheaval that forced Sheikh Hasina from power. This electoral earthquake reflects both a rejection of entrenched rule and the consolidation of a new political order shaped by public fatigue, institutional strain, and an energized youth electorate. Its implications stretch well beyond Dhaka’s borders. At the domestic level, the BNP inherits a politically polarized society and a state apparatus that must be recalibrated after years of centralized governance. The inclusion and electoral strength of Islamist actors, alongside the BNP’s nationalist rhetoric, introduce questions about the ideological tra...
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Lessons Malaysian Media Cannot Afford Ignore

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The mass layoffs at The Washington Post in early 2026 are often framed as a uniquely American media story: a collision of declining digital revenue, changing audience habits, and costly legacy structures. For Malaysian news outlets, that framing is dangerously comforting. The real lesson of the Washington Post episode is not about scale or geography; it is about structural vulnerability, strategic complacency, and the consequences of failing to adapt editorial purpose and business models fast enough in a hostile information economy. What happened in Washington is a preview of pressures that Malaysian media already face, only with fewer buffers and less margin for error. At its core, the Washington Post crisis shows that prestige does not equal immunity. The Post is one of the world’s most recognizable newspapers, with global reach, elite readership, and deep historical credibility. Yet none of that prevented the collapse of revenue expectations once audience growth stalled and ...
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Modi’s Visit and Malaysia’s Strategic Recalibration - Part 2

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Malaysia is more than a ceremonial exchange or a routine reaffirmation of goodwill. It arrives at a moment when Malaysia’s external environment is undergoing profound structural change. Intensifying rivalry between the United States and China, the fragmentation of global supply chains, and the growing militarisation of the Indo-Pacific are narrowing the strategic space for middle powers. In this context, Modi’s visit has the potential to redefine the substance, direction, and ambition of Malaysia–India relations and to prompt Malaysia to recalibrate its strategic posture by treating India not merely as a partner, but as a core strategic pillar for both business and defence. From cordial ties to strategic substance Malaysia and India share a long-standing relationship rooted in deep civilisational ties, sustained through trade links, cultural interaction, and the enduring presence of a substantial Indian diaspora in Malaysia. Ye...
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India, Malaysia, and the Digital Growth Frontier - Part 3

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia arrives at a moment when economic strategy, technological capability, and geopolitical positioning are becoming inseparable. For Malaysia, the visit is an opportunity not merely to deepen diplomatic ties, but to reposition India as a core strategic partner for business expansion, investment flows, and digital transformation. For India, Malaysia offers a stable, well-connected gateway into Southeast Asia. The convergence of these interests particularly in the digital economy and artificial intelligence can reshape bilateral relations from transactional engagement into a long-term growth partnership. Unlocking two-way business and investment flows Malaysia and India already enjoy substantial trade, yet the relationship remains under-leveraged relative to their economic potential. India’s rapid growth, expanding middle class, and manufacturing ambitions present Malaysian firms with opportunities far beyond traditional commodities ...
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NDS 2026 and Malaysia’s Strategic Reality

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The 2026 U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS) signals a decisive shift in how Washington views both global order and the Indo-Pacific. No longer framed primarily as a space for managed competition, the region is now treated as the central theatre of potential great-power conflict. Anchored in President Trump’s “peace through strength” doctrine, the strategy prioritizes deterrence by denial, demands greater allied burden-sharing, and assumes a far higher risk of simultaneous wars. For Malaysia and its Southeast Asian neighbours, this recalibration will reshape the strategic environment in ways that cannot be ignored, even by states committed to non-alignment. At its core, NDS 2026 reflects a harsher assessment of China’s trajectory. Unlike earlier strategies that balanced rivalry with engagement, the new document assumes that China is approaching military parity with the United States in key Indo-Pacific contingencies. As a result, Washington’s focus is no longer on shaping Chin...
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Malaysia’s Strategic Adaptation After Davos 2026

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The World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos underscored a profound shift in the global order toward greater unpredictability, transactional diplomacy, and intensified great-power rivalry. The return of U.S. President Donald Trump to the centre of global discourse marked by assertive nationalism on trade, energy, territorial sovereignty, and security has unsettled traditional alliances and reinforced the erosion of long-standing multilateral norms. For Malaysia, Davos served as both a warning and an opportunity: a reminder that middle powers must become more agile, assertive, and strategically self-reliant in a more volatile international environment. A central takeaway is the growing fragility of traditional Western cohesion. Trump’s confrontational posture, particularly on territorial sovereignty and economic protectionism, rattled European leaders and weakened confidence in the transatlantic alliance. This signals a broader trend in which even long-standing partnerships are ...
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