Paradiplomacy at the Sarawak–Kalimantan Border through SOSEK-MALINDO
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33736/jbk.11848.2025Keywords:
Paradiplomacy, SOSEK-MALINDO, Sarawak, Malaysia-Indonesia relations, Border governanceAbstract
This article examines Sarawak's participation in the SOSEK-MALINDO (Kerjasama Sosial Ekonomi Malaysia-Indonesia) framework as an example of subnational involvement in cross-border governance. While foreign affairs and border security remain under federal jurisdiction in Malaysia, Sarawak has engaged actively in SOSEK-MALINDO through collaboration with Kalimantan at both the state-province and technical levels. Drawing on qualitative data from in-depth interviews with key state and federal officials, the study investigates Sarawak’s external engagement within a federally institutional framework. The findings indicate that SOSEK-MALINDO functions as a multi-level and multi-sectoral governance platform, enabling subnational participation while maintaining federal authority. At the state-province level, Sarawak contributes to agenda-setting and coordination on border development and socio-economic priorities. At the technical level, Sarawak’s involvement centers on implementation-oriented collaboration among various ministries and departments. This study argues that Sarawak’s involvement in SOSEK-MALINDO is better understood as paradiplomacy grounded in strategic complementarity rather than driven by subnational assertiveness. It further contributes to the paradiplomacy literature by illustrating how subnational external engagement can occur within centralized, asymmetrical federations through practical cooperation.References
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