SELECTED WRITING
Malaysia, Diplomacy and the Wider World
A selection of articles by Dato’ Dr Ilango Karuppannan on Malaysian foreign policy, ASEAN, diplomatic history, geopolitics and Malaysia’s overlooked places and people.
From statecraft analysis to evocative road-trip reflections, these essays offer unique perspectives on Malaysia's past and present.
8 JULY 2025 · RSIS COMMENTARY
5 AUGUST 2025 · RSIS COMMENTARY
From Rhetoric to Realignment? Anwar Ibrahim and the BRICS Question
Diplomacy Without Drama: Malaysia’s Role in the Cambodia–Thailand Conflict
An examination of whether Malaysia’s engagement with BRICS represents a genuine foreign-policy realignment or a cautious effort to expand its options while preserving ASEAN centrality and balanced relations with major powers.
An analysis of how Malaysia used quiet diplomacy and its convening power to help broker a ceasefire, while exposing the limitations of ASEAN’s formal mechanisms for managing conflict between member states.
25 NOVEMBER 2025 · RSIS WORKING PAPER
Malaysia’s Foreign Policy under Anwar Ibrahim: Rhetorical Shift, Strategic Continuity?
An assessment of Malaysia’s foreign policy under Anwar Ibrahim, arguing that its sharper rhetoric and stronger moral signalling have not displaced the country’s longstanding reliance on ASEAN, strategic hedging and cautious execution.
Academic Research
Provincial archives and weathered travel logs hold the quiet stories that shape our collective memory. These are glimpses into the unwritten history.
25 NOVEMBER 2025 · RSIS WORKING PAPER
Malaysia’s Foreign Policy under Anwar Ibrahim: Rhetorical Shift, Strategic Continuity?
An assessment of Malaysia’s foreign policy under Anwar Ibrahim, arguing that its sharper rhetoric and stronger moral signalling have not displaced the country’s longstanding reliance on ASEAN, strategic hedging and cautious execution.