This article argues that while the US alliance remains at the forefront of australian security policy, the deepening of ties between the United States and australia has the potential to complicate australia's relations with its Southeast asian neighbours. Moreover, the manner in which the Howard government has attempted to manage this shift in policy has only exacerbated the problem. australian pronouncements of support for the US policy of pre-emption, the perceived preference of the australian Prime Minister to take on the role of "deputy Sheriff", and the unwieldy approach taken by the australian government in policy announcements pertaining to maritime and security policy have caused unnecessary tension and mistrust between australia and some Southeast asian states.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Australian‐Malaysian relations reached a critical juncture due to a series of crises, such as the 1986 capital punishment of convicted drug smugglers Barlow and Chambers, and the 1993 “recalcitrant” jibe by Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating. Following the election of the Howard government in 1996, relations continued to be on a roller coaster with the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad leading anti‐Australia protests over the “Howard Doctrine,” the Australian leadership of the 1999 intervention in East Timor, and the “Deputy Sheriff” controversy. Despite this, defense relations between the two remained strong. The success of this cooperation rests on shared political commitment to the security of the region. This article examines the impact that positive cooperation in “high politics” has had in mitigating the negative aspects of crises in “low politics.” It argues that close bilateral defense relations have worked to prevent the emergence of further critical junctures in 2012 following the collapse of the Australian‐Malaysian refugee swap deal and statements by Australian politicians about Malaysia's poor treatment of asylum seekers, and in 2013 over the overt support by many Australian politicians of the opposition, especially Anwar Ibrahim, during the Malaysian general elections.
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