From ad hoc towards the institutionalisation: An assessment of Malaysia's policy evolution on Antarctica and the Southern Ocean

Malaysia's policy on Antarctica and the Southern Ocean (A&SO) in the last three decades has evolved from being focused on diplomatic engagement to pioneering science in cooperation with the international community and strengthening science diplomacy by becoming a member of the international governance of Antarctic. Through process-oriented evaluation, the aim of this study is to map out the development of Malaysia's policy on the Antarctic region (from 1982 to 2016) and consequently, identify the current capacities and future needs to strengthen its involvement. This study reveals that Malaysia's policy on A&SO has strong integration in foreign affairs, science and technology (S&T), and the environment, and the involvements are parallel with the national development plan. To move forward, Malaysia is currently establishing a suitable governance structure and a long-term management plan to ensure a long-term political commitment, sustain investment of resources and strengthen the dynamic participation of stakeholders. This study advances the scholarly understanding of the political processes and challenges to Malaysia's Antarctic policy development, in its journey towards institutionalisation which will create distinctive and valuable positions for Malaysia to contribute to current debates on the future of the Antarctic region. In the context of ad-hoc decision on certain policy, this case study will contribute relevant information about the development process, issues and challenges on policy through ad-hoc implementation.