By Datuk Prof Dr Faiz Abdullah

Theme: International order shouldn’t be a game of Pachinko. It should be determined by collaborations and cooperation based on values of humanity.

The world is complex, even chaotic, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had stated at one of the hubs of South Korea’s brightest minds, Seoul National University during his official visit. This is where an oxymoron fits to a ‘T’ – a ‘world order’ that is ‘helter-skelter’ – thanks to the geopolitical and geo-economic fissures which are deepening and getting wider. Meanwhile, adding to the tangled web are the contradictions, double standards and duplicity in practices of international norms and law.

Aggressive trade and investment policies exacerbate an environment of uncertainty. Trade wars and protectionist rivalries cast doubts on institutions of global governance, which 80 years after the Bretton Woods institutions were established, have demonstrated sheer inability to adapt to a multipolar world.

Rather than protecting the weak and smaller nations, interpretations and practices of international law are skewed towards siding with the rich and larger powers. As pro-American values are arbitrarily ascribed to the Russia-Ukraine crisis while the Israeli genocide of Palestinians continues to be given short shrift, one wonders whether there is still an international order.

Yet, for trading nations like South Korea and Malaysia, engagements on international norms and security are invariably linked to imperatives of strategic autonomy and national development, that are impacted by the decisions of major powers such as the United States and China. Extricating from this quagmire is very much akin to the Sisyphean attempts by patrons of the parlour play in Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko – it’s rather hopeless because the machines are rigged so that players have no choice but to ‘play on’ come hell or high water.

For South Korea, the environment is especially unique with China and the United States being top trading partners, although the value of the China trade is double that of the United States. It is the security challenge posed by North Korea, being within the sphere of influence of China, that keeps South Korea locked in the geostrategic embrace of American protection.

Meanwhile, Malaysia plays a balancing game straddling both powers, on economic, strategic and security fronts. Amid present geopolitical dynamics, Malaysia and South Korea have to engage both nations and other powers in order to procure stability and respect for their sovereignty and aspirations.

Values of humanity

In this epoch of international rivalry and potential gaps, there is a need to hold on fast to the values of humanity. Trade must not only be free, but “humane and equitable”. While smatterings of large to medium-sized powers hold influence over arenas such as international trade or the future of technology, much more can be done to galvanise forces to lay out norms that are conducive to peace, economic justice and ethics.

ASEAN’s theme for 2025 on “Inclusivity and Sustainability” sits snugly with APEC’s on forging a sustainable future where South Korea will serve as chair. Beyond conversations on the environment, the discourse on economic justice and shared prosperity should take pride of place too, especially in addressing the role of legacy institutions, which are fast sleep walking into irrelevance for the Global South.

As both nations activate their Strategic Partnership that now encompasses defence and issues such as sustainability and climate change, vast opportunities are in the offing for the pursuit of other common strategic interests such as renewable energy, hydrogen and nuclear power. This must proceed from a platform of mutual strengths. Currently, Malaysia is Korea’s third-largest trading and fourth-largest investment partner within ASEAN, while Korea ranks as Malaysia’s eighth-largest trading and investment partner. It is widely anticipated that the celebration of the 65th anniversary of Malaysia-South Korea relations will be marked by a Free Trade Agreement that would usher in an even more robust era of trade and commerce.

Development of technologies anchored by human values could be useful for the region. In Artificial Intelligence, South Korea’s leadership could impart knowledge on developing an ecosystem extending beyond only one source of knowledge to incorporate Asian thinkers. While indeed the more the merrier, the technologies need to reflect, emulate and impart the good values of humanity.

Whereas technologies that could address the advancing climate crisis are of utmost necessity, it is fortuitous that Malaysia and South Korea have already expanded cooperation in the energy and environment sector in recent years, focusing on carbon capture, hydrogen and bioenergy cooperation including R&D in green technologies.

At Seoul National University, Prime Minister Anwar extolled the courage and sacrifices of the Korean students in spearheading the protest movements demanding democratic freedoms and restitution of fundamental liberties. That had been a huge source of inspiration for his days of student activism, “knowing that our brothers and sisters here were standing for what was right”.

In this convoluted global environment, Malaysia and South Korea should indeed take that principled position, and stand for what is right with the courage of our convictions. While this is neither hype nor hoopla, nevertheless, lest the platitudes turn pious through inaction in times of uncertainty, Malaysia and South Korea should collaborate proactively for the cause of international stability and security, economic resilience and peace.

So, move aside, Pachinko. It’s time for the real game!

-- BERNAMA

Datuk Prof Dr Faiz Abdullah is Chairman of the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Malaysia.