The Contemporary Observations of Paradiplomacy: The Case of Sabah-Australia Connections

Diplomacy has always been seen as a state-centric matter that views state as the only actor in international relations. Nevertheless, since the end of the Cold War, this belief has been challenged with the growing role of multinational as well as sub-state entities in international political arena. Malaysia-Australia relations have been shaped with numerous issues and challenges. Despite their bumpy political ties in the past (especially during the prime ministership of dr. Mahathir Mohamad) other spheres of the relationship remained unaffected. As such, a case study is conducted by looking at Sabah-Australia relations in terms of paradiplomatic practices.This research is qualitative in nature. Initial findings indicate that historical imperatives as well as trading interactions are two forms paradiplomatic practice that has contributed to strengthening of Malaysia-Australia relations.


Introduction
The importance of bilateralism is evident in the study of international relations. Since the end of World War I and the inception of International Relations discipline in 1919, emphasis has been given by scholars and world leaders on the efforts on how to avoid war from recurring. Ever since, numerous theories have been developed and promoted to strengthen ties between countries.
Diplomacy has always been seen as a state-centric matter that sees state as the only actor in international relations. Nevertheless, since the end of the Cold War, this belief has been challenged. The forces of globalization has made interactions between nations to be multi-faceted. Paradiplomacy is referred to as "...the involvement of the constituent units (regions) of (multi)national states in international affairs" (Kuznetsov, 2015).
Liu and Song define (2020) paradiplomacy as "…the conduct of external engagements (across socioeconomic, security, and energy fields, for example) by subnational/provincial governments in both federal and unitary systems." In short, paradiplomacy can be understood as the 'parallel diplomacy' that is practiced by sub-state or sub-national governments.
It has to be noted that the bilateral ties between Malaysia and Australia have been tested with various challenges in the past that had almost jeopardized their diplomatic relations (Camilleri, 2001;Shamsul, 1996). This was evident especially during the administration of Malaysia's fourth Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. Interestingly, despite the bumpy ties of their troubled governmental relationship, other spheres of the relationship remained in-tact and unaffected (Idris, 2018). As a matter of fact, the ties between these two countries continue to grow that have benefitted both parties.
As such, it is argued that the role of 'paradiplomacy' in the case of Sabah and Australia has in one way or another not only strengthened the bonds of interactions between the two entities but also indirectly promoted better understanding and cooperation between Malaysia and Australia. As such, this paper will briefly discuss the initial findings of paradiplomatic practices between these two entities.

Past Studies
It is interesting to note that there has been an abundant number of studies that have been conducted pertaining to the area of paradiplomacy. However, it is also important emphasize that there is a dearth in terms of literature, especially in the aspect of paradiplomacy of nonwestern states (Liu & Song, 2020).
The latest available work on paradiplomacy published in reputable journal entitled Chinese Paradiplomacy : A Theoretical Review, written by Liu & Song. They argue that the existing analytical framework of paradiplomatic studies confined itself to the limited ascpect of the phenomenon only and are mostly on Western world case studies. Hence their discussion expands the geographical scope of non-Western paradiplomacy. Kuznetsov (2015) examines the theoretical dimension of paradiplomacy and the roe of sub-national governments in international politics.

Initial Findings i.Historical Imperatives
In terms of security, during World War II, Australian troops were closely involved in defending Malaya (1941Malaya ( -1942 and the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak (1945). They had also provided a temporary interim military government in Sabah and Sarawak right away after the Japanese forces had surrendered to the Allied Forces during World War II (Williams, 1992: pp. 2 & 8). That was not all, with the request made by the Malaysian government, Australia dispatched its troops in 1965, joining the British, Malaysian and other Commonwealth countries to protect Malaysia from the threats posed by Indonesia during the Konfrontasi (Cochrane, 2001;p. 203;Idris et. al 2010).
These experiences have contributed to the strengthening of engagements between these two entities (Sabah and Australia). For example, The Sandakan Memorial Day is held annually (every 15 th August) to commemorate the sacrifices of the Australian prisoners of war (PoWs) in defending Sabah during the Second World War. This occasion draws hundreds of visitors both from the country and overseas every year to mourn the loss, honor the heroes and remember the history that was made. It is a continuous tradition to ensure history is remembered but not repeated.
In terms of education, many students from the state had benefitted from the Colombo Plan. The Colombo Plan was a clear manifestation of Australia's strong educational commitment and support to Malaysia and the region in general. As a result, many Australian-educated Sabahans were heavily represented in politics, economics, academia and other fields in the country.

ii) Trade Interactions
Malaysia and Australia are trading partners for many years and share common open economy (Idris, 2015(Idris, , 2016. Trading interactions between Sabah and Australia contribute greatly to the economic interests of both entities. As of 2019, Sabah recorded a trade surplus with Australia, despite having trade deficit for certain product categories such as Food (Sitc-0), Crude Materials (Sitc-2) (See Table 1 Below). Based on the table above, Sabah's main export products to Australia include Petroleum (Sitc-33), Fertilizers (Sitc-56), Fish, Crustaceans, Mollucs (Sitc-03), Feeding Stuff For Animals (Sitc-08). It is clearly indicated that Sabah's comparative advantage in the mentioned products are indeed the highest products that Australia imported from Sabah in 2019.

Conclusion
Diplomacy has always been said to be a state-centric affair that views states as the dominant and only actor in international relations. However, this belief has been challenged since the end of the Cold War and the growing role of multinational as well as sub-state entities in international political arena. As in the case of Sabah and Australia, both entities have enjoyed tremendous benefits that have eventually advanced the bilateral relations between Malaysia and Australia. As discussed in the paper, initial findings have shown that historical imperatives as well as trade interactions are two forms of paradiplomatic relationship that have taken place between them.
The continued historical legacy as well as trade interactions have indirectly strengthened the bonds of the peoples (Sabahans and Australians). These interactions are believed to bring about greater potentialities between the peoples to expand even further. The existing paradiplomatic practices could become the driving force for greater Sabah and Malaysia-Australia relations.