Shut the Door! Military Cooperation at the Borders: Malaysian Initiatives and Capabilities

Abstract

Malaysia has porous borders and some of these areas have significant security threats emerging from criminal smuggling activities, illegal immigration, and militant incursions.  The Malaysian armed forces and security agencies are taxed to the limit with their finite resources in mitigating these threats.  This paper traces the historical strategic dimension/context of these areas’ security threats and their respective contexts behind it.  It describes the various security initiatives to counter these threats by their regions and provides an analysis for the way forward, which is by close collaboration and sharing of resources with Malaysia’s neighbouring states in securing mutual borders.