IKMAS INSIGHTS VOL. 1 2024 BOOK LAUNCH AND BOOK TALK SESSION ON “NAVIGATING INDO PACIFIC ERA’

ABSTRACT

The essays in this first volume of IKMAS Insights, “Positioning Malaysia in an Indo-Pacific Era” come out of a project animated by the Pok Rafeah Chair, which is funded by the Pok Rafeah Foundation. As the 7th Chair holder, Paul Evans led two seminars with IKMAS colleagues, plus one at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), a partner institute in Jakarta. He also delivered the Pok Rafeah lecture organized by IKMAS in March 2023. Prepared by seven scholars at IKMAS UKM, one of whom is a member of a four-member team, and one is at ERIA, the essays address some of the challenges of the Indo-Pacific era as seen from several disciplinary angles.  In combination, the essays reveal the complexity of the choices confronting Malaysian officials and citizens in an era of renewed great power rivalries and a fragmenting economic order. This volume aims to generate the required knowledge and insights to understand the China-US conflict, live with both superpowers peaceably, manage complicated regional economic and security issues, and above all sustain a democratic transition at home.