The Asia Foundation

Facilitating a dialogue among development cooperation experts and practitioners from Korea, China, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand to discuss and compare development assistance strategies employed by these emerging Asian cooperation partners. The first dialogue in the series was held in Kuala Lumpur.

Local Partner:

International Institute of Public Policy and Management (INPUMA)

Acquisition and distribution of 35,971 books and journals to more than 733 schools, universities, public libraries, and other institutions throughout Malaysia. The program has also begun shipment and distribution to the state of Sabah directly from the United States.

Local Partner:

Partners of Community Organizations Trust (PACOS)

Strengthening community efforts in Sabah to respond to cross border security issues by working with village leaders and local law enforcement to prevent, protect, and advocate around security threats.

Local Partner:

Partners of Community Organizations Trust (PACOS)

Measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of doing business at the local level in 11 districts in Malaysia. The BEI (also known as the Economic Governance Index) is a country-specific diagnostic tool used to assess and rank subnational units (provinces, states, districts, etc.) on various aspects of the regulatory environment.

Local Partners:

Monash University Sunway Campus Malaysia; RAM Holdings Berhad

Continuing longstanding efforts to support Malaysian democratization and governance. Strengthening the country's electoral process by improving the quality and transparency of the electoral roll; increasing voters' access to information on registration and polling processes; improving the efficiency and integrity of campaigning and election-day operations; and increasing the credibility of absentee voting procedures.

Local Partners:

Centre for Independent Journalism; Merdeka Center for Opinion Research; National Institute for Democracy and Electoral Integrity

Two-day meeting for young, emerging leaders from Asia and the United States to discuss U.S.-Asia relations and strategic competition in the Asia-Pacific, co-sponsored with the Institute for Strategic and International Studies-Malaysia and the Pacific Forum.

Awarding scholarships and internships to five promising low-income students, who are interested in studying electrical engineering, electronics, or physics. The scholarship will support the students for the duration of their studies.

Local Partners:

National University of Malaysia; University of Malaya

Conducting and analyzing a public opinion survey to gauge Malaysian youth's social, political and economic views, attitudes, and practices. Analyzing trends by gender, state, ethnicity, and other demographic criteria.

Supporting up to 50 schools with appropriate educational textbooks and reading materials, with an emphasis on providing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-oriented educational resources with a focus on the schools in the state of Melaka where the TI factory is located.

Providing support for a four-year scholarship fund that will enable 92 underprivileged girls from across Malaysia to pursue undergraduate degrees at highly respected universities in Malaysia.

Local Partners:

National Council of Women's Organizations; Partners of Community Organizations Trust (PACOS)

Acquisition and distribution of 19,332 books to 677 schools throughout Malaysia, including those in the rural areas of Sabah, Sarawak, and Kelantan, plantation schools, and secondary and primary Muslim schools.

Engaging at-risk youth in marginalized communities in Sabah by training them to be community journalists and advocates on local issues.

Maintaining a website for the National Dialogue on Islam & Democracy project; Facilitating public dialogues among Malaysians and providing policy input to the Malaysian government on ways to advance democracy and human rights.

Funding for recipients of the award created to honor the late Chair of the Foundation's Board, in four separate programs: China (clean energy); India (US-China relations vis a vis India); Pakistan (women's issues); and Malaysia (online independent media).

Travel of CIAC officials to Kuala Lumpur to meet with Malaysian airport officials and representatives of the low-cost airline industry; Participation of CIAC officials in the “7th Annual Low Cost Airlines Conference” in Singapore; Analysis and assistance in drafting marketing, business, and operations plan for Clark Airport; Developing a land-use plan carried out by international engineering firm, AECOM; Participation in the “Routes Asia 2010 Airline Convention” in Adelaide; Participation in the “EyeforTransport 8th 3PL USA Summit 2010” in Atlanta, Georgia.

Participation in the “7th Annual Meeting of Deans and Directors of Diplomatic Training Institutions of ASEAN+3” in Singapore to strengthen the institute’s professional capacity to provide information, education, and international perspectives to Lao officials; Participation in the “38th Annual Meeting of Deans and Directors of Diplomatic Academies and Institutes of International Relations” in Malta; Providing internet access to facilitate IFA research, information-gathering, and communication; The Young Leaders Meeting at the Asia Pacific Roundtable (APR) held in Kuala Lumpur.

Conducting public forums for the National Dialogue on Islam and Democracy project; Contributing academic input towards the publication of two related policy papers on women and minority rights and religious tolerance.

Visit for 10 leaders from southern Thailand to observe Malaysia’s policy and practice of multiculturalism—providing an opportunity for sharing Malaysia’s nation-building and development experience and the opportunity to network with Malaysian government, academic, community, and non-governmental institutions for the purpose of strengthening bilateral ties and exchanges.

Lead partner on the National Dialogue on Islam and Democracy Project; Chairing and conducting the project advisory panel, contributing a policy paper on good governance, editing and publishing the project findings “Islam and Democracy in Malaysia: Findings from a National Dialogue.”

Conducting a series of advocacy workshops for previous participants of the public forums of the National Dialogue on Islam & Democracy Project to inform the participants of the project results and to gather feedback.

Pilot project, in collaboration with Monash University Sunway Campus Malaysia, to adapt the Business Environment Index (BEI) methodology and survey instruments to the Malaysian context. 

An informal roundtable discussion to foster an exchange of ideas on the causes of subnational conflicts, with a focus on analysis of Southeast Asian ethno-religious civil conflicts and featuring a presentation by a Malaysian political scientist.

Two-day meeting for young emerging leaders from Asia and the United States to discuss U.S.-Asia relations and strategic competition in the Asia-Pacific, cosponsored with ISIS-Malaysia and the Pacific Forum.

Institutional support for The Nut Graph, an online Malaysian news outlet, in recognition of its contribution to alternative political and economic perspectives on Malaysian affairs.

Luncheon discussion on Malaysia's current political situation with The Asia Foundation's program director in Malaysia, Herizal Hazri.

Release of findings and recommendations of companion reports compiled in "America's Role in Asia: Asian and American Views," with public events in Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Acquisition and distribution of 21,000 books, distributed to 435 schools, including rural and underprivileged schools, most of which are situated 3,000 miles away from peninsular Malaysia on the island of Borneo, focusing on schools in Sabah, Sarawak, Plantation, and Musleh (private Islamic school) schools.

Engaging at-risk youths in the state of Sabah (from Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, and Tawau) who may suffer from poverty, lack of education, identity crises and unemployment and developing them as advocates of community issues to articulate their community concerns to politicians and the media.

Conducting public forums and maintaining a website for the National Dialogue on Islam & Democracy project; Facilitating public dialogue among Malaysians and providing policy input to the Malaysian government on ways to advance democracy and human rights through a national dialogue on Islam and democracy in partnership with strategic local organizations.

Support for two Muslim women lawyers to attend the "Global Meeting for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family" in Malaysia.

Establishing the Centre for American Studies (KAMERA); Establishing a forum to network with United States-related institutions and organizations to better understand the full dynamics of U.S.-Malaysia bilateral relations and the broader regional context of the role of the U.S. in Asia.

Conducting public forums to contribute academic input toward the publication of two policy papers on "Women and Minority Rights" and "Religious Tolerance" for the National Dialogue on Islam & Democracy project.

Chairing and conducting the National Dialogue on Islam & Democracy advisory council to contribute academic input toward the publication of a policy paper on the theme of "Good Governance."

Conducting public forums and a nationwide public survey for the National Dialogue on Islam & Democracy project.

Election observation of the Kuala Terengganu by-election, which fell vacant following the death of the Deputy Education Minister, Datuk Razali Ismail, in an area where the competing Malay-majority parties, United Malays National Organization (UMNO), and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), have a strong presence; Conducting phase II of the voters' education training in Sarawak to improve awareness among various indigenous communities in Miri and Bintulu of their rights as citizens and voters as a way of advocating the people's concern about access to information, freedom of expression, and right to electoral reform. Phase II focuses on training indigenous activists and publishing training material in the native languages of the indigenous communities.

Assessing the suitability of the Community Foundation model in Malaysia, especially in East Malaysia and providing recommendations on the structure and funding model for such an institution.

Advocacy work to introduce substantive legislative reforms to the 1994 Domestic Violence Act to recognize psychological violence and improve the protocols and procedures of national agencies (police, welfare, and the courts).

Support for the travel of an official civil society observer on the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Acquisition and distribution of 9,581 books and journals to 170 schools, mostly in the remote areas of Sabah and Sarawak and only accessible by river boat. Additionally, books were distributed in peninsular Malaysia to Islamic secondary schools, primary schools serving children of plantation laborers, and rural schools in Terengganu.

One-day consultation workshop on the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions during the forum’s 13th Annual Meeting.

Establishment of the Centre for American Studies (KAMERA), which provides a forum to network with U.S.-related institutions and organizations, and to better understand the full dynamics of U.S.-Malaysia bilateral relations and the broader regional context of the United States’ role in Asia.

Support to chair and conduct the National Dialogue on Islam & Democracy project, which facilitates public dialogue among Malaysians and provides policy input to the Malaysian government on ways to advance democracy and human rights.

Sponsorship of the 2008-2009, “Bridges – Dialogues Towards a Culture of Peace,” an independent contribution to the United Nations’ Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence. The event involved the participation of Nobel Laureates for Economics, Peace, Physics, Chemistry and Medicine, and other eminent keynote speakers as well as ASEAN leaders from all parts of society.

Sponsorship for the session “Personal Law – Interaction between Syariah & Civil Laws,” at the 21st Lawasia Conference.

Strengthening the network of women’s organizations and women’s study centers in Indonesia through the support for the 2nd Conference of Kartini Network for more than 100 institutions across Indonesia and Asia, including Bangladesh, Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and India.

Establishing an online digital library of Malaysian historical documents to provide the public with access to historical documents and publications. The archive bridges the knowledge gap between political decision-makers, media practitioners, and the public in order to improve the nation’s ability to engage and debate on issues of national and international concern.

Partial support for the MAAS 25th anniversary seminar entitled, “The Global Economic Slowdown: Challenges and Prospects for U.S.-Malaysia Relations Under the Obama Presidency.”

Election observation during the 12th Malaysian General Election as the official observing body for the election.

2008 National Youth Opinion Survey, which assesses the views, attitudes, and perceptions of Malaysian youth on socio-political matters. The survey raises awareness of various stakeholders political leaders, policymakers, academics, and civil society organizations about the concerns and expectations of young voters.

Election observation of the Permatang Pauh by-election, which was a seat contested by the de facto Opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Voter education training in Sarawak to improve awareness among various indigenous communities in three areas – Kuching, Miri, and Bintulu – of their rights as citizens and voters.

Scoping exercise to assess viability of undertaking an Economic Governance Index (EGI) for Malaysia.

Study visit for five high-level staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to conduct an assessment of Afghan Embassies in four different countries in the central Asia region: Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan; Support to three high-ranking Afghan Government officials to participate in the conference, “Effective Capacity Building for Senior Public Officials,” conducted by the International Institute of Public Policy and Management at the University of Malaya; Facilitation of a study tour for four staff from the Independent Election Commission to exchange with the respective election commission staff in Australia and Nepal; Facilitation of a study visit for 11 officials from counterparts in the Indian Government, the Independent Directorate for Local Governance and Ministry for Rehabilitation and Rural Development; Study tour for 21 Afghan Government officials representing various ministries and departments to visit Malaysia for IMPUMA 2008 training; Study tour to facilitate the Deputy Chief of Staff to participate in “Leaders in Development” conference; Support to Member of Parliament, Ms. Shinkai Zahine Karokhail, to participate in the “International Leaders Forum” in Denver, Colorado; Support to three ranking Afghan Government officials to participate in training on “Senior Management Program” conducted by Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in the National University of Singapore.

Fact-finding mission to Sibu, Sarawak, to investigate the situation facing Cambodian fishermen detained there. The mission determined facts on whether the fishermen have been trafficked, the extent of violations of rights that took place, and the kind of response from relevant authorities on this issue.

Support for a conference on Shaping Public Opinion in a Changing Media Environment. This project brought together traditional and online media as well as bloggers and government officials to discuss key issues and emergent trends in online media.  It resulted in a set of recommendations on bridging the digital divide; improving the infrastructure; and addressing the state of freedom of information, expression and dissemination in the country.

A total of 23,015 books were distributed to 365 institutions,  including schools,
universities, resource centers, government agencies,  non-governmental organisations, state and rural libraries, community centres, and other public institutions. This year there was a tremendous demand for books from schools. Most of the books were sent to schools in remote areas affected by floods at the end of last year.

The conference brought together participants from the public and private sectors as well as
academics across the ASEAN region and the U.S. to: (a) assess the state of ASEAN-U.S.
relations; (b) analyze ASEAN-U.S. relations in terms of national and regional perspectives; and (c) examine potential for dialogue and partnering on community-building issues.

Support for the Dialogue on Islam and Democracy--a two-year project that takes the concept
of Islam Hadhari to the general public to determine how the key principles around minority and women’s rights, religious tolerance and good governance are interpreted and applied by everyday citizens.

Support for a Malaysia Human Rights website and blog implemented by JIM to address issues on human rights from an Islamic perspective.  Support was also provided for two student leadership and outreach programs implemented by IIUM where students undertook community service work at an Orang Asli (aborigine) village and at a Malay village.

Capacity-building support for the MIAF, a new international affairs institute designed  to
bridge the gap between the more defence-oriented work of the Malaysian Strategic Research
Center and the government policy work of ISIS.

Support for a youth opinion poll on attitudes toward social and political issues. This
annual survey reveals youth attitudes across Malaysia on issues such as voting, corruption, crime and the economy.  It provides a useful barometer of constituent satisfaction for policy makers and helps citizens to gauge their own opinions against those from different states or ethnic groups.

Pilots on voter education in Sabah and Sarawak to increase awareness among voters of their
rights and teach them how to make informed choices during an election. This effort is also expected to spark the interest of local groups in forming election monitoring initiatives in Sabah.

Implementation of a series of one-day workshops to raise awareness among women plantation workers on laws related to women and families; and provide important information on the roles and responsibilities of the police, health and welfare officers and NGOs.

To provide exposure to current issues relating to Islamic law and jurisprudence, as well as create a venue for discussion about the application of the theoretical aspects of Islamic
law to the concrete situations faced by Muslims around the world. Hosted by the
International Institute of Public Policy and Management (INPUMA), the seminar was delivered by Dr. Anver M. Emon, a visiting associate professor from the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto.

Implementation of a legal aid clinic to advise women on their legal rights, particularly in
relation to the application of Syariah and civil law on issues of marriage, custody and
inheritance.

Support for gender sensitization training for police and law enforcement officials who deal
directly with victims of trafficking in Malaysia.

The project will reconstruct a public jetty in a small village in Johor that was badly
damaged in the massive floods of 2006/2007.