Malaysia and the Developing World : The Asian Tiger on the Cinnamon Road

As Malaysia’s economy grows and flourishes, strong new links are being forged with other developing countries in the region and beyond. This book examines these new links. It argues that as many countries with which Malaysia has new links are Indian Ocean countries, many of them Muslim countries, a new style trading network is being formed, a network with Islamic characteristics, which echoes Indian Ocean Islamic trading networks of earlier times.

As Malaysia’s economy grows and flourishes, strong new links are being forged with other developing countries in the region and beyond. This book traces the ways in which age-old organizational, political, religious and trade networks between Nusantara, the Malay World, and Central Asia, East Africa and the Middle East have changed in recent years. The book argues that these old links are being revived by new forms of globalization, modernization and knowledge transfer that are developing and implementing non-western models of governance, often in direct reference to Islam. The book goes on to explain how, as Malaysia develops new links with Indian Ocean countries, many of them Muslim countries, a new style trading network is being formed, a network with Islamic characteristics, which echoes Indian Ocean Islamic trading networks of earlier times. Interspersed with interesting methodological insights into the latest network, transnational and spatial theories, the book provides detailed case studies of Malaysia’s and Southeast Asia’s trade and numerous other links with Indonesia, Egypt, Zanzibar, Comoros and Central Asia, and concludes by assessing how Malaysia’s and ASEAN’s new style network is likely to develop and influence wider global networks. Written with a depth of knowledge reflective of the author’s many years of research throughout Asia, this book gives a real insight into how Malaysia’s mentalities, traditions and ways of thinking are being applied to its interactions with its immediate neighbours and the wider world.