Emerging Dynamics in Contemporary India-Malaysia Relations - (Modern Southeast Asia) (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The primary goal of this book is to capture the many facets of Malaysia-India bilateral relations from both historical and contemporary perspectives. Relations between these countries are significant because they have shared ethnoreligious and sociocultural bonds through trade, conquest, and migration for centuries. Hindu-Buddhist traditions have dominated the Malay world through government structures, ideas and philosophy, religious pursuits, and civilizational influences before the arrival of Islam in the 15th century. In the post-colonial period, India and Malaya (later Malaysia) established diplomatic relations in 1957 against the backdrop of an unstable world characterized by colonial baggage, rampant poverty, and geopolitical instability. Notwithstanding this, relations between the two countries have remained relatively close over the last 65 years, owing to the dynamic people-to-people connections, mutual history, and strong trade ties. Although there were several diplomatic spats between India and Malaysia, especially towards the end of Mahathir's second administration, relations bounced back rather strongly due to strong trade interests. In this edited volume, the authors present and argue the dynamics in bilateral relations from the perspectives of contemporary economy and trade relations, people-to-people connection through tourism, security cooperation, ethnic identities, comparative religiosity, and revisiting the historical links between these countries.

Review Quotes

A must-read for academics, policymakers, and social commentators seeking a compelling, critical, comprehensive, and diverse discourse on a variety of factors that drive the dynamics of India-Malaysia relations in the 21st century. The subjects covered in the book are as wide-ranging and encompassing as the expertise areas of its 10 contributors. Excellent presentation of data and supporting arguments throughout the book.

This volume edited by Ravichandran Moorthy & Sarjit S. Gill is indeed a very timely and comprehensive addition to the literature on India's relations with Malaysia. The ties between these two important neighbors in the wider Indo-Pacific represent a complex interaction driven by factors impacting the domestic and regional environment. The book is an immense contribution to understanding how relations between these two countries evolve across a wide spectrum of issues. It will undoubtedly add great value to the literature on India and Southeast Asia, with specific reference to Malaysia.

About the Author

Ravichandran Moorthy is professor of international relations at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Sarjit S. Gill is professor of social anthropology at the University of Putra Malaysia.