Jordans Foreign Policy: Regional and International Implications - Report Example

Background of Malaysia, Turkey and Jordan Part Malaysia History It is believed that the predecessors of the Malaysian peninsula’s current inhabitants were migrants from other regions in what is now Asia. The migration occurred from 2500 to 1500 B.C. Due to contacts with Indian sea-based traders, the early Malaysians were influenced by Hinduism. It was when the India was taken over by Muslim invaders that Malaysia was also converted to Islam. In the 1800s, the British East India Company began operating in the region, while basing in Singapore. The British created protectorates while establishing rubber plantations in many parts of Malaysia. During World War II, the Japanese occupied the country. After the war, a movement for independence pushed the British to grant semi-autonomy in 1948. Malaysia achieved full independence by 1963. Country The total land area of Malaysia is 330,803 square kilometres, making it the 67th largest country in the world. As a federation, the country is composed of 13 states and three federal territories. The federal territories are Kuala Lumpur, Labuan, and Putrajaya. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of the country. The 13 states are Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu. Of the states and federal territories, Labuan, Sarawak, and Sabah are not located in the Malaysian peninsula. These are located in the island of Sabah, sharing borders with Indonesia. Sabah particularly is close to the Philippines. Politics The political and governmental system of Malaysia is a combination of constitutional monarchy and federal representative democracy. Under this setup, the king, Abdul Halim, is the head of state. It is the prime minister, however, who has the stronger political power as head of government. The current prime minister is Najib Tun Razak. The federal government and the state governments serve as the executive bodies. There are legislative bodies in the federal and state levels. While the executive body may have the power to appoint court judges, the judiciary itself is absolutely independent from the executive and legislative branches in the government. There are many political parties in Malaysia, which is a result of its multi-party system. This system has been in existence since 1955. However, during elections, a majority of these parties unite into coalitions. At the moment, the most powerful coalition is the Barisan Nasional or National Front. It is composed of the major political parties such as the ruling United Malays National Organisation, the Malaysian Indian Congress, and the Malaysian Chinese Association. The opposition parties are the People’s Justice Party, the Islamic Party of Malaysia, which advocates Islamist governance, and the Democratic Action Party, which promotes socialist programs in the economy (Pepinsky 2009: 61-63). Current Issues Malaysia has problems due to conflicts among the people which are based on ethnic differences, socio-political tensions, religious animosities, and economic inequalities. There have been instances when such conflicts have actually resulted in violence. Socio-political tensions are basically shaped by economic disparities and religious animosities, especially as the Islamist organisations are trying to establish further their influence. The country is vulnerable to terrorism from militant Muslims. On the on transnational aspect, Malaysia is involved in a territorial dispute with neighbouring countries regarding the Spratly Islands, which are located in the South China Sea north of the country. The other countries involved China, Philippines, and Vietnam, Brunei, and Taiwan (Dzurek 1996: 46). Part 2: Turkey History The region called Anatolia was inhabited by Indo-European Hittites in 1900 B.C. After 1200 B.C., it was the Phrygians and Lydians that lived in the area. In 6th century B.C., the Persian Empire annexed occupied Anatolia. Afterwards, the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire also conquered it. It was in the 13th century that the Ottoman Turks emerged and began controlling the territories within Anatolia. By 1453, they have gained control of Constantinople. The Ottoman Empire lasted for 600 years, propagating Islamic culture for the said period of time. After 1566, the Ottoman Empire weakened gradually and by 1909 an anti-monarchy revolt forced the ruling sultan to allow the establishment of the liberal government (Zurcher 2005: 93-98). It was in1923 that modern Turkey as a republic was established. Country Turkey is the 37th largest country in the world. It has a land area of 783,563 square kilometres. The country is divided into 81 provinces, each with its own local governments assisting the national government in administration. For the purpose of census and ease in location, the provinces are grouped together into seven regions. Ankara is the capital city of Turkey. Each of the provinces has its own capital, usually with names as that of the province. Although not the capital, Istanbul is the largest city in the country. It is also financial hub of Turkey. Majority of the people or 75 per cent live in the cities. Politics The political system in Turkey is described as parliamentary representative democracy. While it may be a country with a huge Muslim majority, it has been successful in upholding secularism since becoming a republic (Binaz 2006: 26). The President of the country is the head of state, which, although an elected position, is actually a ceremonial role. The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers are those who control the executive branch. The current president is Abdullah Gul while the prime minister is Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey as a unicameral parliament called the Grand Assembly of Turkey. The country’s judicial branch is independent of the two other branches of government. The existing political parties in the country espouse various causes and political principles. The three major political parties, however, which have the most seats in the legislative branch, are the Justice and Development Party (AKP), Republican People’s Party (CHP), and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). These uphold the political principles of Kemalism, laicism, and modernization. The minor parties, on the other hand, most of which belong to the Left, have yet to establish themselves in the parliament. Aside from communism, socialism, anarchism and other the progressive political positions, principles upheld by the minor parties are conservatism, neo-liberalism, Islamism, and Pan-Turkism. Current Issues Despite the relatively stable economy, the gap between rich and poor in the country is increasing. Aside from this, Turkey has been having serious problems regarding the environment, especially because the country has been prone to environmental disasters. Islamist groups are also on the rise and are attempting to strengthen themselves politically, which could result in the in the loss of the country’s secular ideals. As this develop, gender equality, which Turkish women have enjoyed better compared to those in other Muslim countries, is also threatened. In international relations, Turkey has yet to achieve its aim of becoming a part of the European Union. Part 3: Jordan History Centuries before its establishment as a kingdom, the area now called Jordan is composed of Edom, Ammon, Moab, and Bashan. This was soon occupied by a succession of conquerors, the Assyrians, followed by the Babylonians, and then the Persians. The Nabateans, who are Arab-speaking, went to create a kingdom in the southeast. The area became part of the Roman Empire in A.D. 106 but it was taken over by the Arabs in 633 to 636. The Ottoman Turks ruled Jordan in the 16th century. The British took over after the defeat of Turkey in World War I. In 1923, Britain granted Jordan independence but under a mandate. It was only after World War II that the mandate was abolished. Country Jordan is a small country with only 89,342 square kilometres of land area. It is 112th in the world in terms of the largeness of is land area. The country is subdivided into 12 governorates, which are political divisions called as muhafazah in Jordanian. In the North Region, these are Irbid, Mafraq, Jarash, and Aljoun. In the Central Region, these are Amman, Balqa, Zarqa, and Madaba. Karak, Tafilah, Ma’an, and Aqaba are part of the South Region. The existence of such divisions in the Kingdom of Jordan has enabled the government to effectively manage the country since each of the muhafazah has its own local government. Politics Jordan’s political system is parliamentary monarchy. Under this setup, the prime minister is considered as the head of government but the King also plays a significant role in ruling the country. In fact, the King has executive powers and he has the cabinet under him. The King may dissolve the parliament and he may appoint the prime minister. However, his actions are also covered by the Constitution promulgated in 1952. The country has a bicameral legislature. Called the National Assembly, it is divided into the Chamber of Deputies and the Assembly of Senators. All members of the legislature are elected by the people. There are about 30 political parties in Jordan and these become very prominent and active during elections for legislative positions. However, unlike in other countries with democratic systems of government, Jordan’s multi-party system is not very relevant to its politics and governance. This is because only very few of these are well-organized and have grassroots connections. Even the political agenda are not clearly distinguishable. However, of the existing political parties, it is the Islamic Action Front that is most organized and that has clear-cut political principles based on Islamism and conservatism. The party has since criticised US meddling in the Middle East. Current Issues Jordan distinguishes itself from the rest of the Arab world for its acceptance of the Western way of life and its friendly attitude to the US. Because of this, it is continuously threatened by hostile forces from Islamic militants within and from anti-American regimes in the neighbouring countries (Al-Zu’bi 1991: 182-186). It is also the attitude of the monarchy towards the West that has generated discontent among more conservative Muslims. This has caused the domestic strife although the Jordanian government has been known to use strong-arm tactics against critics and dissidents. The growing strength of the Islamic Action Front as a political party is a proof of such rising discontent. List of References Al-Zu’bi, S. (1991) ed. by Wilson, R. Jordan’s Foreign Policy: Regional and International Implications. New York: Routledge Binaz, T. (2006) ed. by Carkoglu, A. and Rubin, B. Islam and Democracy in Turkey. New York: Routledge Dzuerek, D. (2009) The Spratly Islands Dispute: Who’s on First? Durham: IBRU Pepinsky, T. (2009) Economic Crises and the Breakdown of Authoritarian Regimes: Indonesia and Malaysia in Comparative Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press Zurcher, E. (2005) Turkey: A Modern History. London: Tauris Read More