Malaysia and the Southern Ocean: Revisiting the Question of Antarctica

This article examines the development of Malaysia's policy toward the Southern Ocean since 1983. Malaysia appears set to sign the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. The signing of the Treaty will close a chapter in the North-South divide on the question of Antarctica at the United Nations. It will also signal a new face or orientation in Malaysia's foreign policy toward the Southern Ocean under the new regime led by Prime Minister Dato Seri Najib Razak.