Malaysia's Participation in a United Nations Standing Force

This thesis investigates whether Malaysia, as a small state, should participate in a United Nations (UN) standing force. The proposal to establish a UN standing force for conducting peacekeeping operations was introduced not long after the inception of the UN itself. However, due to the lack of consensus among the UN members, it was not established. After the Cold War, there has been a sharp increase in the number and complexity of peacekeeping operations. The idea for the UN to have a standing force once again has emerged and gained the attention of many parties. In analyzing whether Malaysia should participate in a UN standing force, this paper explores the concept of comprehensive security to identify the main security concerns for small states. In this process, Malaysia's security strategy is identified. A cost, risk and benefit analysis determines the effects of participation in a UN standing force on Malaysia's security interests. Considering all the security measures already implemented by Malaysia as its national security strategy, participation in a UN standing force would incur substantially more cost and pose greater risks to its security than the potential benefits that can be gained by the country.