Government and Politics/ Contents

Early foreign policy

Johan Saravanamuthu

At Independence, Malaya found itself in a world dominated by the so-called Cold War between the West and the Communist Bloc led by the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Although Malaya initially leaned toward the West, Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak sought increasingly to maintain a neutral, equidistant stand, working as far as possible through international associations.

  • Information in the full article includes
  • End of colonization
  • Choosing sides
  • Strength through association
  • Policy of neutrality
SEATO

The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) flag.