Malaysia

Books for Asia has

distributed over

2.5 million books to

Malaysian schools,

libraries, and other

institutions since inde-

pendence in 1957.

BUILDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

OF VILLAGES VULNERABLE TO CROSS-

BORDER CRIMES

The Asia Foundation works to strengthen state-society relations, government accountability, andresponsiveness through enhanced citizen participa-tion for reform and effective governance. Sabah,on the northern point of Borneo, is part of thesensitive and occasionally volatile tri-border regionof Malaysia, Philippines, and Indonesia. Isolatedand disconnected villages with limited channels tosecurity remain highly attractive entry points forsmuggling rings, land grabbing, human traffickingand in some extreme cases, armed non-state actorswho take refuge in locations that are notoriouslydifficult to police.

While the government of Malaysia has beenproactive and supportive toward numerous multilateral and bilateral efforts to address security concerns in its border areas, these efforts are mainly focused on improving the capabilities oflaw enforcement and security agencies. Thoughthese efforts have greatly enhanced their ability to

respond to criminal threats, they have not fullyutilized the role of communities in preventingtransnational crime.

To complement the government’s efforts, togetherwith local partner PACOS, The Asia Foundationis building constructive relationships betweencommunities and security officials in Sabah totackle various threats. Activities have includedlocal threat assessments and building resilience of15 vulnerable villages through community aware-ness programs, training of village leaders and secu-rity officials, and development of a communitybased security network with shared mitigationstrategies. The program focuses on strengtheningtrust and cooperation between both parties withthe hopes of ultimately empowering whole villagesto prevent crimes and safeguard their way of life.

ASIAN APPROACHES TO DEVELOPMENT

COOPERATION (AADC)

The Asia Foundation continues to support effortsto strengthen Malaysia’s development cooperationprograms through the “Asian Approaches to

The Asia Foundationhas had programs in Malaysia since

1954 with an officeestablished in 1957.

Malaysia ranks among nations today as an upper middle-income country that actively engages in economic and political reform with hopes of achieving developed-nation status by 2020. The AsiaFoundation, in partnership with the Malaysian government, civil society and the private sector, supportsMalaysia in its continuing efforts to promote social and economic development, and encourages dia-logue on a wide range of domestic and international issues affecting Malaysia’s future. This includesstrengthening state-society relations, government accountability and responsiveness, bolsteringMalaysia’s international development cooperation, supporting the transformation of the Malaysianeconomy to achieve inclusive economic development, and expanding national participation in theBooks for Asia program.

In 2010, Malaysia

unveiled its Economic

Transformation Program

to double per capita

income by 2020.

MALAYSIA

HEADQUARTERS465 California Street, 9th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94104 USATel: (415) 982-4640Fax: (415) 392-8863info@asiafound.org

WASHINGTON, DC1779 Massachusetts Ave., NWSuite 815Washington, D.C. 20036 USATel: (202) 588-9420Fax: (202) 588-9409info@dc.asiafound.org

MALAYSIASuite 13.05 Level 13The Gardens South TowerMid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed PutraKuala Lumpur, 59200Tel: (603) 2282 0385

www.asiafoundation.org

DevelopmentCooperation”(AADC) dia-logue series. In2013, theFoundationinvited theInstitute ofStrategic andInternationalStudies (ISIS)Malaysia to

participate in the AADC Vietnam meeting hostedby Vietnam’s Institute of Strategy and Policy onNatural Resources (ISPONRE), in partnershipwith the Korea Development Institute (KDI) andThe Asia Foundation. The meeting focused onknowledge exchange in the complementary areasof climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduc-tion, and disaster management.

The Foundation also organized two study visits ofinfluential leaders from Bangsamoro, Philippinesto Malaysia to facilitate discussions and garnerMalaysian support of the Bangsamoro in two pri-mary areas - development and coordination of theHalal food industry and Islamic cooperative bank-ing for Haj. The Foundation reached out to theHalal Food Corporation and the Haj PilgrimageFund as Malaysian host institutions. TheFoundation implemented this exchange in coordi-nation with the secretariat set up by the govern-ment of Malaysia, headed by the facilitator of theMoro Islamic Liberation Front and theGovernment of the Philippines peace process.

EXCLUSION OF WOMEN FROM POLITICAL

AND ECONOMIC LIFE

The Asia Foundation supports the transformationof the Malaysian economy to achieve inclusive andsustainable economic development throughresearch and analysis on domestic constraints togrowth. As Malaysia transforms itself into a highincome economy, the process requires addresssingcertain challenges. In a series of national policies

and plans recently launched, including the NewEconomic Model, the government has laid out anumber of key initiatives to propel Malaysia out of its middle income status, and into the ranks ofhigh income nations by 2020. One of the key fea-tures to these initiatives is the focus on greatereconomic and political empowerment of women.As half of Malaysia’s work force is comprised ofwomen, there is no doubt that women must play a major role in order for Malaysia’s economy to progress.

As part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) research project, Evaluating BusinessEnvironments to Foster Access to Trade andGrowth of Women’s SMEs in Southeast AsianAPEC Developing Economies, The AsiaFoundation in Malaysia supported a local net-working workshop to promote networking amongwomen in business. Representatives were subse-quently selected to attend the regional convention“Regional Workshop for Women in Business,” alsohosted in Malaysia.

As a result of the APEC study, a representative ofthe National Association of Women Entrepreneurswas selected to represent Malaysian WomenEntrepreneurs at a panel discussion during APEC’sSmall and Medium Enterprises Working GroupMeeting in Bali.

BOOKS FOR ASIA

Books for Asia inMalaysia targetsprimary and sec-ondary schoolsof underservedand rural com-munities. In2012, 45,382books were dis-

tributed to over 700 schools and public institu-tions. The program now has dedicated shipmentsgoing to the state of Sabah in East Malaysia, wherethe program has received excellent traction.

03/2014

The Asia Foundation

is a nonprofit international

development organization

committed to improving

lives across a dynamic

and developing Asia.

Headquartered in San

Francisco, The Asia

Foundation works through

a network of offices in

18 Asian countries and in

Washington, DC. Working

with public and private

partners, the Foundation

receives funding from

a diverse group of

bilateral and multilateral

development agencies,

foundations, corporations,

and individuals.