Historical study of the relations between Tanzania and Malaysia, 1960-2015

Abstract

This study explores and examine the historical relations between Tanzania and Malaysia from 1960 to 2015. It is a qualitative study which uses a descriptive and a historical-analytical method in analyzing Tanzania's past historical contact and relationship between Tanzania and Malaysia since the first century C.E. The study found that the relationship between the two countries started during the first century when the Austronesians were navigating from the Malay Archipelago to the East African coast of Indian ocean. These past relations were strengthened during the 8th century Arab-Muslim domination of trade within the large swath of Indian ocean with other major players like the Indian, Chinese, the Swahili people and the Malays. In this period until the 16th century, the two regions were bond by Islam which played an important role to the growing relationship in upholding the interest of the intercontinental integration in general and the universal Islamic brotherhood. Also, the study found that it was the emergence of western colonial relations that emerged during the 15th and 16th century that disturbed the relationship Tanzania and Malaysia at a time. The relations were boosted after the two countries attained their independences and they managed to forge and bond and mutual relations in various political platforms like at the United Nation, Commonwealth, South-South cooperation and Non-Aligned Movement. These platform has helped the two countries to help the countries in the southern hemisphere in solving different problems like the apartheid in South Africa, the Palestinian rights to have their homeland and many others. Lastly, the study finds that from 1980 to 2015, the two countries have changed the pattern of their relations from political standpoint into more of economic cooperation. This was achieved because of the effort of Tun Mahathir Muhamad and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere to commission a South-South commission which was entrusted to deal with economic problems of the southern hemisphere’s countries. This example of the growing relationship between Tanzania and Malaysia shows that similar relations between and among other southern countries could be beneficial for greater unity of the region.