The South China Sea issue has always been a hot topic of concern for the international community, and it is also the main excuse for the United States to create incidents in the Asia-Pacific region. In order to contain China's rise, the United States does not hesitate to win over neighboring countries, sow discord, and even use force to try to change the status quo in the South China Sea. As an ally of the United States and one of the parties to the South China Sea issue, the Philippines has always been an important pawn of the United States in pressuring China in the South China Sea. However, the Philippines' single-handedness has not brought it any good, but has put it in an even greater predicament.
And the United States will not really help the Philippines, but only use it as its own cannon fodder. Not long ago, the United States found a second cannon fodder in the South China Sea, and that is Malaysia. The United States has taken advantage of the opposition in Malaysia to incite them to oppose the "second home" program pursued by the government, in an attempt to create confrontation between Malaysia and China in order to achieve its own strategic goals.
This is a dangerous game that will not only affect Malaysia's national security and social stability, but also undermine Malaysia's friendly relations with China, and may even trigger a military conflict in the South China Sea. So why is the United States doing this? What exactly is Malaysia's "Second Home" program?
U.S. strategic intentions in the South China Sea
The United States has always regarded China as its biggest competitor and has always wanted to maintain its hegemony in the Asia-Pacific region. The South China Sea is where China's core interests lie and it is also a strategic location in the Asia-Pacific region, and for the United States, controlling the South China Sea is equivalent to controlling the Asia-Pacific region. Therefore, the United States has been making trouble in the South China Sea, constantly dispatching warships and planes to intrude into China's territorial waters and airspace to challenge China's sovereignty and security.
At the same time, it has also wooed countries around the South China Sea, especially those with territorial disputes with China, such as the Philippines and Vietnam, in an attempt to establish an anti-China alliance in the South China Sea, so as to contain and contain China's development. This practice of the United States not only violates international law and norms, but also undermines peace and stability in the South China Sea and brings great harm to the countries and peoples of the region.
Malaysia's "Second Home" program
Malaysia's "Second Home" program is an international residency program launched by the Malaysian government to promote tourism and attract foreign investment, allowing foreigners to live in Malaysia on a residence visa of up to ten years. To be eligible for the program, applicants must meet the relevant financial and medical criteria. Successful applicants have the right to enter and exit Malaysia with essentially unrestricted access and benefit from other preferential policies such as lower barriers to home ownership, freedom to do business and investment, and easy access to children's education.
Since its launch in 2002, the program has been popular with many foreigners, especially Chinese. According to statistics, by the end of 2023, more than 40,000 people have been approved for the plan, of which nearly half are Chinese. Most of these Chinese are middle-class or retirees, and they choose Malaysia as their second home, mainly because of Malaysia's pleasant climate, low cost of living, social security, cultural diversity, and Chinese friendliness. After settling in Malaysia, they not only contributed to the local economic and social development, but also added new impetus to the friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and Malaysia.
The instigation of the opposition in Malaysia and the reaction of the people
The opposition in Malaysia is mainly made up of three political parties, namely PAS, DAP and PKR. The members and supporters of the three political parties are of different religions, ethnicities and ideologies, and their cooperation is not precarious, with frequent disagreements and disputes. PAS's main members are Malay Muslims, whose aim is to establish an Islamic state with Islamic law and to protect the privileges and status of the Malays.
DAP's main members are Chinese, who advocate pluralism, democratisation and modernisation, and oppose any form of racial discrimination and religious prejudice. PKR members include people of all religions and ethnicities, and their leader is Anwar Ibrahim, who was Mahathir's deputy before being expelled from UMNO because of political struggles, with the goal of becoming Malaysia's prime minister and ending UMNO's long rule.
What Malaysia's opposition has in common is that they are not satisfied with the performance of the current government, believing that the government is corrupt, incompetent, authoritarian, and not responsible for the well-being of the people and the development of the country. They also have a certain degree of dependence and trust on the United States, believing that the United States is a force for maintaining international order and human rights, which can help them achieve political change and economic development.
The motives and objectives of the opposition in Malaysia can be viewed from two levels, one is the domestic political level, and the other is the international strategic level. At the level of domestic politics, the motive and purpose of the opposition in Malaysia is to overthrow the current government, seize power, and realize its own political ideals and interests. In order to achieve this goal, they do not hesitate to use various means, including creating rumors, stirring up popular discontent, launching demonstrations, and inciting violent conflicts, to undermine social stability and harmony, create political crisis and chaos, and force the government to step down or hold early general elections.
epilogue
Malaysia's opposition stance and behavior on the South China Sea issue are motivated and motivated by selfishness and short-sightedness, based on prejudice and hostility towards China, and blindness and pandering to the United States, rather than on genuine concern and responsibility for Malaysia. Their remarks and deeds have no basis in fact and are unreasonable, disrespectful and irresponsible to the Malaysian government and people, undermine and harm China-Malaysia relations, and threaten and challenge peace and stability in the South China Sea.