Malaysia's Foreign Policy Towards The Middle East During Najib's Tenure

Malaysia is situated in the Strait of Malacca,with the favorable geographic position,it turns out to be a big commercial country,which has developed close economic relations with the Middle East since ancient times.In the 13 th century,Islam was introduced into the Malay Peninsula by the Arab merchants.The prosperity of the trade and the extensive spread of the Islam has in return enhanced the links between Malaysia and the Middle East.Since its dependence in 1957,Malaysia has maintained its consistency in its policy towards the Middle East although changes have taken place now and then.After Najib Tun Razak taking office,he made some modifications to his predecessor's policy.Firstly,he lowered the political position of the Middle East in the map of Malaysia's foreign affairs.Secondly,he weakened the political functions of Islam in their policy.Thirdly,he highlighted the connections between Malaysia and the Middle East in economy and society.This thesis attempts to analyze the reasons for these changes from three aspects: the first is the domestic politics,the second is the international and regional situation,and the third is the leader's personal characteristics and his personal Islamic image.In conclusion,it finds that all the adjustments made by Najib conform to the national benefits of Malaysia,which has dramatically boosted the development of Malaysia's politics,economy and society.Without great pressure from domestic and huge changes in the international society,Malaysia's foreign policy towards the Middle East will not be changed a lot currently.In politics,Malaysia will continue its steady foreign policy.Energy security will be the new main focus and non-traditional security will become the main part in its foreign policy.Nowadays,China has strengthened its strategic interests,economic interests and energy security in the Middle East,however its diplomatic strategy towards the Middle East is still in the process of formation.China and Malaysia share a variety of interests.China's cooperation with Malaysia will facilitate China to construct its discourse power and avoid the risks in the Middle East.This thesis uses three methodologies such as literature review,case analysis and comparative analysis to explore the changes of Malaysia's policy to the Middle East,their reasons and effects.Based on the above exploration,it tries to estimate the prospect of Malaysia's policy towards the Middle East,which can not only contribute to understanding of Malaysia's foreign policy,but also can provide effective references for China when it designs its strategy to the Middle East.