Good negotiation: Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim meeting with Cambodian prime minister Hun Manet (left) and Thailand’s acting prime minister Phumtham Wechayachai in Putrajaya, recently. — Prime Minister’s Office
IN today’s fragmented and divisive world, demands for skilled negotiators, those steeped in diplomacy and dialogue as statecraft, should be at a premium. After all, a perfect storm is brewing: global politics are becoming increasingly fraught, and common global issues are being weaponised.
Open conflicts are flaring up in places like Europe and the Middle East, while other regions, such as East Asia, face renewed risks of unintended conflict due to miscalculations over long-standing disputes. Even South-East Asia, long marked by the absence of open conflict between Asean member states, was recently reminded of the dangers of complacency and the need to continuously nurture a culture of peace.
