Malaysia’s Trumped-up Excitement: How the 2024 US Elections Biden the Time for Malaysian Politics
It appears the circus has returned, folks! As the highly anticipated 2024 US Presidential election gears up for Round 2 of political rodeo, the world watches with bated breath and reluctant amusement. Think of the United States as the quarterback on the field of global diplomacy — a bad play would cause a major ripple effect throughout the game, regardless of the strengths of the linebackers or cornerbacks. Deftly put — how will the outcome of the upcoming Presidential election affect the rest of the world?
Hailing from Malaysia, let us first examine the ties between our nations. Per recent reports, and what most local economists know, the United States is one of Malaysia’s top foreign investors, with the foreign investment numbers rising to well over USD 100 billion so far across the manufacturing, services and digital sectors, and this is likely an undercount! As several American firms channel their investments by subsidiaries across Asia and Europe. And as of December 2023, this amount saw an increase of, ironically, USD 2.6 billion. Furthermore, over 200,000 of our nation’s workforce are employed by American companies in various sectors. These figures amply illustrate the economic trade ties between our countries, meaning any political instability will directly impact economical aspects and drive uncertainty into the marketplace.
In the geriatric parody of Rocky Balboa versus Apollo Creed, the upcoming Biden-Trump rematch is inherently consequential — and yes, one outcome is graver than the other. Let us assess both scenarios:
If pioneer of the bipartisan fist bump, Joe Biden, clinches a second term at the Oval Office, expect the tempo of the diplomatic dancefloor to remain fairly steady. In a recent visit to California, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim touted the importance of the bilateral relationship between our nations. He noted the connections of export markets and trade relationships and the significance of the annual bi and multilateral military exercises between our nations. Furthermore, Malaysia and the US enter its tenth anniversary of the US-Malaysia Comprehensive Partnership in 2024, fostering the respect our nations and its elected officials have for each other. Under a second Biden administration, it would seem the only harbingers are of prosperity and progress. However, it is important to note that due to the asymmetry in power, Malaysia, like many of our South East Asian siblings, are merely viewed as a means to the US’ prioritized ends. This is typical in nations with an imbalance of power-relations, and when it comes to Malaysia, (or South East Asia as a whole) the American security commitment leaves much to be desired. Furthermore, international relations under Biden have been rather monotonous, as Malaysia does not hold the same stand to power as other Asian nations such as Japan or Taiwan. Ultimately, under the Biden administration it would seem that the grass is green for the most part and that a second term would be mildly prosperous at best and expectedly prosaic at worst.
Now, enter into the arena returning Republican nominee and toupee on a corndog — Donald J. Trump. A president with the mind of a businessman — or perhaps, now a titular leader with the mind of a man in the throes of senility? It is no secret that Trump has touted Islamophobic sentiments during his presidency. These tenants crept their way into executive orders — for instance, the infamous Muslim Ban that prohibited travel & refugee resettlement from selected, predominantly Muslim countries. While, our nation graciously escaped this sliver of executive discrimination — we remain a predominantly Muslim country, and who is to say a second wave of Trump’s known Islamophobia will not affect our nation under a second administration? Furthermore, Trump’s initial shutdown of collaborative partnerships such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Agreement on the Iranian nuclear Programme, and aid contact with Palestinian leaders proved to be detrimental to Malaysia as a partner the first time around. Though these efforts were restored during the Biden administration, it is jarring to think that under a second Trump administration — any restorative efforts would be in vain.
Additionally, under a second Trump administration Malaysians would observe a heavily transactional and unreliable America — effectively killing a previously multilateral zone for free trade. Analysts have speculated that a Trump re-election could further drag smaller nations such as ourselves into escalating tensions between superpowers such as China, Russia and the States, involuntarily. This again reverts back to the imbalance of power between our nations and the legislative collaborations that bind us. Furthermore, a Trump re-election and his sentiment of “dictator for a day” would not only prove a tragedy for American democracy but would sound alarms of inequality and unpredictability to American trade partners and allies — Malaysia included. As funnyman Jon Stewart put it during the first Trump administration — “70 year old men do not get less racist, with age”.
Ultimately, American-Malaysian ties could be radically impacted when it comes to the elections — with the comical incalculability of American politics. And a grave outcome would certainly prove detrimental in more ways than one. Till then, all we can do is grab a bucket of popcorn and wait, breaths bated, as these geriatric gladiators gear up for a final face-off.
