INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BETWEEN MALAYSIA AND THAILAND. 1.

0 INTRODUCTION The most important thing in international relations for Malaysia is has good relations with their neighbor. This is because of Malaysia had their own foreign policy which the objectives is for friendship, peacefulness and prosperity. The factor that influence Malaysia foreign policy can be describe from the aspect of economy, history and people, position and size of Tanah Melayu, and leadership. From the aspect of economy, Malaysia had a relation with Britain and United States of America because of latex and zinc. Both country gives capital in build factory and bank and also become a buyer of the goods. The aspect of history and people shows that close relation with Islamic countries was formed since the Malacca Sultanate era till now. In the aspect of position and size of Tanah Melayu, Tanah Melayu is located between the main international ways at Straits of Malacca and become a centre port for the trader visit. The aspect of leadership shows that when Tanah Melayu got the independence on 31st August 1957, the leader of the country on that time had no experience about international relations because they are only focus on struggle for independence. The colonialist, British was the powers that manage the international relation of Tanah Melayu on that time. After independence, Malaysia foreign policy was judge as an anti-West and the proof is the diplomatic in the beginning only between the non-communist countries such as Britain, United States of America, Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, India and Philippines. Malaysia had joined much international organization that involve by the other countries. Because of that, Malaysia was formed a diplomatic relation with many countries that joined the same organization with Malaysia. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is one of the international organizations that Malaysia joins together with Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand that created in 1967. Thailand also had their own foreign policy and in the context of security, Thai elites have moved Thai foreign policy through four phases of alliance diplomacy in the postwar period. Following the World War II, Thailand faced low levels of threat, to which it responded with minimal external security dependence. Over the 1950s and 1960s, Thailand faced increasingly severe threats to its security stemming from communist neighbors in China and Indochina and their support for communist insurgencies in Thailand itself. In response, Thai security policies began to shift toward a policy of concentrated security dependence. Without 1

effective local alliance opportunities, over the early 1960s Thailand increasingly committed itself to an alliance with the United States (Danny Unger)

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HISTORY OF MALAYSIA-THAILAND RELATION. Historically, Malaysia and Thailand have a very long traditional relationship. It was

started before Malaysia get their independence in 1957. The relations among these countries was formed since British colonialist come to Tanah Melayu. Thailand pass through their representative at one time colonize the Tanah Melayu up to Singapore island. Tamagi at one time dominate the Singapore or Temasek on that time during the Parameswara run from Palembang. In fact, until 1909, Perak, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu send the triennial golden flower tree as the payment of tribute every year to the Siamese king. In the early 15th century, prior to Melaka ascendancy, much of the Malay Peninsula accepted Ayutthayas overlordship. This legacy is still visible in modern Malaysia. For example, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman has Siamese ancestors even he is no Thais. Malaysia-Thailand relationship are refering to the relations in politics, economy and social between two countries, Malaysia and Thailand which shared mainland and sea borders. Malaysia had their embassy in Bangkok and Thailand had their embassy in Kuala Lumpur. the different btween Malaysia and Thailand is the size of Thailand is larger than Malaysia and located at north Malaysia. But then, both countries had similarity which Malay language are also use at Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. They are also Muslim and Malaysia tourist easy to find the halal food there. Other than that, the social and culture activity of Malaysia in the music instrument, singing and dancing at the border much influence by Siamese culture. This can see in Siamese skin puppet, tok selampit, Awang Belanga and others. Siamese food also can get in Malaysia such as mi Siam and tomyam and much of the restaurant chef in Malaysia are come from Thailand.

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ISSUES ON MALAYSIA-THAILAND RELATIONS. 2

Other than that, there is some issues in the relationship between Malaysia and Thailand. One of the issues is two citizenship. Malaysia and Thailand are shared the same borders and Golok Ricer become a natural borders between Kelantan and Takbai at South Thailand. Whom live at the borders posses two citizenship. Aside have Thailand identity card, in the same time they become Malaysian. People who stayed at Kelantan, Perlis, Kedah have relatives at Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani and others. Most of them are Muslims and comfortable with the administration and school system and religious life in Malaysia. Administration policy in Thailand more to Buddha religious system, Siam language and applying monarch system based on Bhumibol King. Whom have two citizenship refuse unbend this two citizenship because it become their source of economy. The other issues is South Thailand Crisis. South Thailand always seethe because the communist use the border to hide. Much people at the border influenced with the communist but when the authority of the communist going down at the whole world, the Haadyai Treaty was signed on 1989. Government of Malaysia, Government of Thailand, Communist Party of Thailand and Malaysia are agreed to make peace. Otherwise, South Thailand also become a place for Islamic crusader who want to get independence at Thailand. When the Al-Qaeda develop their influnce at Southeast Asia, South Thailand become a best place for practice and hide. The rapid decline of both the communist insurgency and the southern Thai separatist novement helped to remove those issues as occasional sources of tension between the two countries. A series of arson and other attacks in southern Thailand in August 1993, however, revived this issue, along with Thai worries that Muslim separatists were retreating across the border into Malaysia (Danny Unger).

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THE INITIATIVES TO STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONS. 3

There are some initiatives suggest to keep the relations among people who lives at the border close. Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr. Mahathir the Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industries said that relation between both neighbor countries is friendly and firm with much two way initiative act together, other the cooperation that formed under ASEAN framework. He said that Malaysia and Thailand was cooperating in Joint Development Area (JDA) which is under the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Authority (MTJA) and Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT).

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Malaysia-Thailand Joint Authority (MTJA) The establishment of the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Authority (MTJA) in 1990 marked yet another milestone to the existing bond of traditional friendship between the two neighboring countries of ASEAN. This is because Malaysia and Thailand have shared centuries of cultural, social and historical ties. With the spirit of friendship, mutual goodwill & cooperation, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed in 1979 between the two Governments on the establishment of a Joint Authority for the exploration and exploitation of the resources of the seabed in a defined area of the overlapping claims of continental shelf of the two countries in the Gulf of Thailand for a period of 50 years. With foresight and common vision by leaders of the two nations, the MTJA was created as a statutory body under the laws of Malaysia and Thailand in 1991 to assume all rights and responsibilities on behalf of the two Governments to explore and exploit the non-living natural resources, particularly petroleum, in this overlapping area known as the 'Joint Development Area' (JDA). With the launching of the MTJA, both countries can look forward to realizing the development of these resources and share equally the economic benefits from the JDA. Located offshore approximately 150km from Kota Bharu and 260km from Songkhla in the Gulf of Thailand, the area is approximately 7,250 square kilometers in size. Geologically, this overlapping area, situated in the northern part of the prolific Malay Basin, is known for its hydrocarbon potential. The MTJA, with its Head Office located in Kuala Lumpur, is governed by a Board with Members consisting of equal representatives of Malaysian and Thai 4

nationals (7 from each side) as appointed by the respective Governments. Under the supervision of MTJA Board, the MTJA Management consists of staff covering technical, legal and financial aspects of the petroleum business. The MTJA prides itself as being one of the world's first to implement this unique cooperation between two countries. This cooperation has mutually benefitted the people of Malaysia and the Kingdom of Thailand. The functions of MTJA is to grant rights (with Governments approval) for exploration and production of petroleum in the JDA in the form of a Production Sharing Contract (PSC), to supervise, manage and control petroleum exploration and exploitation in the JDA, to coordinate with Government Department on matters such as Customs and Taxation and also to assist Contractors for their optimal and orderly petroleum operations, to collect royalty and other benefits derived from the petroleum resources in the JDA for the two Governments. Under the MTJA Agreement, the MTJA Act 1990 and relevant Petroleum Income Tax Acts, the MTJA is empowered to award, with the approval from the governments, contract for the exploration and exploitation of petroleum resources in the JDA. The contract has to be in a form of Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and includes the royalty, cost recovery, profit split, research cess, export duty, petroleum income tax, contract period, procurement and custom and taxation. 4.2 Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangles (IMT-GT). The other cooperation between Malaysia and Thailand is IndonesiaMalaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT). The IMT-GT currently consists of 14 provinces in Southern Thailand which consist the area of Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Narathiwat, Pattani, Phattalung, Satun, Songkhla, Trang, Yala, Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, Phang Nga, and Phuket, 8 states of Peninsular Malaysia which consist states of Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Perlis and Selangor, and 10 provinces in the island of Sumatra in Indonesia which consist Aceh, Bangka-Belitung, Bengkulu, Jambi, Lampung, North Sumatra, Riau, Riau Islands, South Sumatra, and West Sumatra. 5

The IMT-GT sub region is a classic growth triangle, characterized by many economic complementarities, geographical proximity, and close historical, cultural and linguistic ties. With the total market of 72 million (2006) and land area covering 602,293.9 square kilometer, the potential for growth and development for this sub region is huge. The development vision and goal of the IMT-GT envisions a seamless, progressive, prosperous and peaceful sub region with improved quality of life. This will contribute to the realization of an ASEAN Economic Community by 2020. To realize this vision, the IMT-GT aims to accelerate private sector-led economic growth and help facilitate the development of the sub region as a whole. Its objective, as stated in the Roadmap for Development 2007-2011, is to increase intra-IMT-GT and interIMT-GT trade and investment. Substantial improvement in physical connectivity of the IMT-GT sub regions is expected by 2011, with a number of road, airport and port projects being completed. Much closer collaboration between the public and private sectors, and participation of provincial and state governments in the process, are expected to be achieved within the Roadmap implementation period. The Strategic Thrusts of the IMT-GT Roadmap are to facilitate and promote intra- and inter-IMT-GT trade and investments, promote the growth of agriculture and agro-industry and tourism, strengthen infrastructure linkages and support to the integration of the IMT-GT sub region, address cross-sector concerns such as HRD, labor and environment issues, strengthen institutional arrangements and mechanisms for cooperation. Otherwise to sharpen its focus, the Roadmap will build on two anchors which is a policy and regulatory anchor, designed to provide an enabling environment conducive to private sector activities and an anchor built around major IMT-GT corridors that can serve as trunk lines from which development will radiate to neighboring areas through transport and economic linkage. 5.0 MALAYSIA-THAILAND RELATION IN ECONOMY. Other than that, Malaysia also has trade relation with Thailand. Malaysia invest at Thailand in various sectors from factory, mine and quarry till the financial service, transportations, and construction, Malaysia was the fifth largest investor in Thailand. Malaysia 6

investment to Thailand is US$183.08 million on 2009. The totals of Malaysia investment in Thailand for the period of 2005-2009 are US$80.99 billion. Thailand was the sixth largest trade partner for Malaysia and dominates 5.7 percent overall Malaysia trade on 2009 or US$15.93 billion. Two way trade for the period of January till July equal to US $12.2 billion. Thailand also had fishing wrangles with Malaysia, as well as with Cambodia and Vietnam. Thailand emerged as the major fishing power in the Andaman and South China seas in the 1970s. Tensions developed during the 1980s as Thai fishing fleets increasingly depleted Thai marine resources and exploited their numerical strength in other states waters. By 1986, Thailand had some 16,000 fishing vessels, with about 85 percent of its catch coming from the Gulf of Thailand. The problem was compounded by divergent understandings of which waters belonged to which state. Malaysia and Thailand signed a treaty for joint development of the continental shelf in 1979, but in 1985, Malaysia fishing legislation led to renewed conflicts. By 1987, the two countries had established a Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation. Thais hope that this can serve as a model for Thai-Vietnamese cooperation on this issue. The Thai government has tried to address fishing problems by regulating expansion of Thai fishing fleets and enforcing its agreements. In fact, however, there is little evidence of Thai state capacity to enforce compliance on the part of Thai industry. Meanwhile, the government is forced to negotiate with its neighbors for the release of the hundreds of Thai vessels and crews seized for alleged violations of neighbors waters.

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MALAYSIA-THAILAND RELATION IN EDUCATION. From the aspect of education, Malaysia gives an assist to Thailand by gives an input and

some improvement to the contents of Islamic studies in religion schools at South Thailand. On June 2007, Malaysia and Thailand was signed one treaty of co-operate in education programmed, occupation and trade head for assist the people that majority are Islam at the border of that south country. Following to the treaty, Malaysia will assist to trained around 4,000 Thailand Islam people in technical programmed and offering a scholarship to that south Thailand students. Thailand was asked Malaysia to continue the assist for human developing for the youth of that area especially in provide vocational training and scholarship. Relationship between Malaysia and Thailand become closer when most of Malaysian student further their studies in Thailand in various course. 7

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CONCLUSION The two way relation between both country now in the strength track and both country

enduring committed to strengthen and increase the relation. The policy of prosperous the neighbor was the principle of international relations of Malaysia and become Malaysia good deed. For Malaysia, the prosperous of the country must be shared with neighbor country because the benefit will be gained. A negotiation was the best way to solve any dispute and not by the weapons or blood spillage. The actual of South Door Policy between Malaysia and Thailand, otherwise, become a strategy to encourage trade and investment of both countries; it will encourage the tourism industries in ASEAN. Recently, Thai-Malay relations have soured considerably due to the ethnically-Malay Pattani separatists in three southern provinces of Thailand. There have been claims by the Thai government that Malaysia has taken an interest in the cause of their opponents in the war, which his vehemently refuted by the latter. Today, there are at least 100,000 Thai-Buddhists in Malaysia, mainly, concentrated in states of Perlis, Kedah and Kelantan. Here, in Kuala Lumpur which is Malaysias capital city, there are fewer than 1,000 Thais. Even with such a small community, there are three Thai-Buddhist temples, with Wat Chetawan as one of the few royal-sponsored temples outside Thailand. And today, if we are in Phuket, we would be surprised to find much of Penang elements are there in the island. Similarly in Penang, in Wat Chaiyamangklaram, there among the largest reclining Buddhas in the world. Whether it is food, culture and language, it is hard to deny the PhuketPenang heritage. No wonder if Thais and Malaysian are looks alike in much thing.