Essay On Introduction To World Politics And History

LO3 Reflect on the significance of Twentieth Century history to the  contemporary world

 

 

LO4 Utilise critical reading and research skills to source and interpret primary and secondary historical sources

 

 

Subsequent paragraphs (and the rest of the paper) should then offer your own thoughts and reflection on this theme (the following is a non-exhaustive list of questions to give you an idea of what to potentially focus on): 

 

 

1. Why do you find this theme interesting? What can it tell us about the broader notion of the world after the Cold War or Cold War legacies? 

 

 

2. Does any of what is discussed in the reading resonate with your own knowledge or experiences? Provide examples.

 

 

3. What contemporary events and/or recent developments confirm or disconfirm the arguments made in this reading? Did they come true in your opinion? Provide examples.

 

 

4. Is any view or idea left out or missing from the discussion? Why do you think it is so?

 

 

5. What implications or prescriptions do you draw from the reading and its conclusions? 

 

 

6. What questions do you have following this reading, and why?

 

 

The cold war has been known to have affected the communities across the world, in this scenario Malaysia had been no exception. It has been noticed that the country had been severely affected due to the significant turmoil in the international world after the commencement of the World War 2. Most of the conflicts was known to have resulted from the substantial ideological conflicts (Weiss 2020). The article by Meredith L. Weiss has been a significant documentation related to the legacies related to the prevalence of the cold war in Malaysia which further relates to the relations and influence of communism in the country. The aim of this report is to provide a critical reflection and reaction over the article “Legacies of the Cold  War in Malaysia: Anything but Communism”. 

 

After reading the article, I was enlightened about the concept behind the initiation and commencement of cold war as well as the substantial impact that the activities impose over the countries around the world. I learnt that Malaysia had been badly affected by the implications related to cold war at a concerning rate. According to Weiss (2020), Malaysia had been known yob be an anti-communist nation which was directed through the significant demonstration of the anti-communist Emergency between 1948-1960. The situation directed to the motivation and the preparation of Malaysia to finally stand against the significant discrepancies encountered from the colonial rule of the Western Power. The cold war was found responsible to leave a series of complex ideals in the legacy of the Malaysian empire in areas like formal politics and civil society. The most interesting fact which mainly driven my curiosity for learning the facts and information related to the implications of the cold war within the colonist nations was facilitated by the protests showcased by the oppressed nations against the military suppression of the controlling bodies through incorporating strategic moves. It has been further learnt from the article that Malayan Communist Party has been regarded responsible to direct to the deeper stains which it inflicted up on the ideological, legal and security battles directed by significant alternative motives which substantially directed it the establishment of a depoliticised society (Weiss 2020). 

 

In this context, it can be significantly argued that Malaysia had occupied a unique niche in the history of Asia’s Cold Wars. The struggles endured by the Malaysian Communist Party (MCP) has been observed to fit better it the situations where the narratives direct to the anti-colonial contestation over the concept of national identity of the individuals within a significant nation. Moreover, as suggested by Weiss (2020), it is also essential to reflect on the prevalent information related to the notwithstanding influence of the Chinese Communist party as well as the British and the US assumptions which immediately questions the progress of the Soviet direction of the MCP. I have further learnt that the Cold War and its legacies have significantly shaped the political system of Malaysia. This considerable influence can be further justified within the context of the 2018 general election a sit provides a particularly interesting Cold War case for consideration. The election has been a largely programmatic coalition which shook the explicitly patronage that kept a strong grip over the power for almost 61 years. However, the Islamist third party also has a notable presence related to the substernal signalling of the technocratic political actions. On the contrary, the political mapping also had a long history of the series of suppression of the left-wing movement (Weiss 2020). The Japanese occupation during the period of 1942 to 1945 has also directed a series of importance related to the discussed context. It can be noticed that the British has vehemently cracked the Malay-nationalist Kesatuan Melayu Muda which is otherwise known as the Young Malay Union. The move was significantly known to be executed as an expression of the shared collaboration with the Japanese. However, the striking entity can be fathomed through the alignment of the Malay Regiment and the sultans with the British empire. This had raised concerns related to mistrust, mutilation as well as other forms of political disagreements with the Malay political systems. Hence, the treaties had faced numerous negotiations and exordiums within the whole history of the cold war and socio-political system of the nation. Moreover, the penetration of the Chinese communist values and entities also places a significant concern within the doctrine of the historical context of the cold war (Weiss 2020). The spread of the Chinese influence could be witnessed in the takeover of education institutions and corporate sectors beyond the colonialism era.

 

From the above analysis, it can be concluded that the concept of communism has a significant influence in explaining the strata of cold war and its legacies in Malaysia. The influence of the cold war had been quite fatal to the socio-political situation of the country as it raised several concerns related to protests against Western oppression. 

 

Weiss, M.L., 2020. Legacies of the Cold War in Malaysia: Anything but Communism. Journal of Contemporary Asia, 50(4), pp.511-529.