Foreign Ministry proposal aligns with Sarawak’s high income target

KUCHING: The proposal for Sarawak to set up its state-level foreign ministry office, to handle external relations, focusing on commercial diplomacy, will be in line with Sarawak’s aim to become a high income state by 2030.

Professor James Chin, from the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute, said the proposal is not something new as many countries also set up individual offices at their respective state or province to handle external affairs.

“This is quite common in developed countries such as Australia and Canada.  So, I think it is a good idea and  I personally support it as well, especially with Sarawak having plans to export its power to neighbouring countries in the region, namely Indonesian, Singapore and Brunei,” he said.

Speaking to New Sarawak Tribune, Prof Chin said by having such an office, Sarawak can handle some of its external relations, especially on the aspects of business support and promotion directly, instead of going through the federal government or Wisma Putra.

He stressed that the idea is not to replicate the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the federal level or setting up a similar ministry – but to have a state-level office to manage the commercial diplomacy between Sarawak and other foreign countries.  

“I don’t think this (idea) is something controversial as it is to take care of the ‘commercial interests’ of the state through one coordinated centre or office,” he explained.

“This is relevant and a good move, in line with Sarawak’s aspiration to become a developed state by 2030,” he added.

However, political scientist Prof Datuk Jayum Jawan of Universiti Putra Malaysia opined the proposal would go against the spirit of nation building and federalism.

He said there was wisdom in having written separation of power between federal  and state, where the federal controls larger matters that affect the whole of the federation and state where concerns are of limited in nature and may be confined to the territory of a particular state or region only.

  “Currently, there is enough flexibility to accommodate Sarawak – that wants to leapfrog in their preparation and development. Thus, I don’t see the need for Sarawak to set up its own Foreign Ministry,” he said when contacted.

“So far, what Sarawak wants or has done to move ahead in terms of its vision and planning have not met with objections and obstacles from the federal government such as its green initiative, hydrogen focus transportation, water power generation and overall investment and connections with entities outside the region and nation,” he said.  

To set up Sarawak’s own Foreign Ministry, Prof Jayum said, is a whole lot bigger and encompasses larger issues and challenges as a nation. Thus mere economic argument to justify Sarawak being given such ministry or variation of such ministry is unjustifiably weak argument.

He said foreign affairs is more than economic in nature, as it covers the former but more importantly chart direction of bigger relations with nation states in terms of, for example, politics, cultural, health, and education.

On Thursday, a former Malaysian diplomat proposed that Sarawak establish its equivalent of a foreign ministry to handle its diplomatic relations, considering its increasing prominence in international politics.

Syed Nizamuddin Khassim, a native of Kuching, pointed out that through various initiatives such as Sarawak Energy Berhad, Sarawak Trade and Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS), and other agencies, the state has unintentionally engaged in diplomatic endeavours.

Based on his experience as a diplomat, he believes that Sarawak possesses the necessary administrative, legal, and motivational aspects to pursue its foreign affairs, similar to subnational governments like Quebec in Canada, Bavaria in Germany, Flanders in Belgium, and several others around the world.

He emphasised that these subnational governments have established a significant presence in international affairs, and in certain circumstances, their representatives carry more weight than the central government.

Syed Nizamuddin argued that the only distinction between Sarawak and these subnational governments is the absence of a ministry dedicated to coordinating its foreign engagements.