Wisma Putra engages with foreign citizens via food, film and other cultural products
PETALING JAYA: Nasi lemak, teh tarik and roti canai may be common breakfast fare but they are the latest tools in Malaysia’s global campaign to win hearts and minds as the government seeks to boost ties and trade, says a top diplomat.
More than 20 overseas missions are promoting what the Foreign Ministry describes as “Malaysian breakfast culture” in their public diplomacy programmes, said Datuk Yubazlan Yusof of the communications and public diplomacy division.
The aim is not to purely promote those foods, although “Malaysian breakfast culture” has been submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) for inclusion in the list of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, he said.
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Rather, these foods are being used to endear foreign nationals to Malaysian culture, much in the same way that South Korea and Thailand have benefited from the global popularity of K-pop and tom yam, he added.
Yubazlan, who is the division’s secretary, has seen first-hand how Malaysian public diplomacy efforts in Serbia resulted in financial gain for both countries.
Food, film and other cultural products, he said, are part of the public diplomacy toolbox to increase Malaysia’s soft power overseas which translates into a positive image that nurtures people-to-people trade, investment and travel.
“Soft power is about attraction, persuasion and cultural influence. If we cannot increase our soft power, it is hard to convince other countries to support us,” Yubazlan told The Star.
“Over time, public perception fostered by public diplomacy may influence tourism and investment decisions and contribute to stronger people-to-people economic ties.
“Tak kenal maka tak cinta. People invest in our country when they already know us and trust us,” he said, using a Malay saying meaning one cannot love something that one does not know.
The diplomat added that in the next few years, the ministry will be putting more focus on public diplomacy initiatives where Malaysian officials will put just as much effort into engaging with ordinary citizens of host countries as they do with foreign governments.
There are also plans to upgrade the division into a department which will provide it with more manpower and resources to focus on public diplomacy.
“Before, diplomats just concentrated on good relations with foreign governments. These days, if you don’t win the hearts and minds of the public in those countries, you will not succeed.”
Yubazlan drew from his own experience of heading the Malaysian mission in Serbia between 2012 to 2016 on how effective public diplomacy can yield tangible results.
Serbians had a negative view of Malaysia because Malaysians advocated for the Bosniaks in the Bosnian War in the mid-1990s, he said.
“We had good relations with the government, but we wanted better economic links. This was hard because the Serbian public was negative towards us.”
Yubazlan started an open day at the Malaysian embassy in Belgrade which featured a charity bazaar, proceeds of which were used to buy supplies and resources for a Serbian home for abandoned children.
In the second year, the charity bazaar drew more participants with several big names, and the profits went to a local maternity hospital in Belgrade.
“The first year, I went on one morning local television show to talk about the open day and charity bazaar. The second year we did it, I was invited by multiple TV stations.”
By the time the public diplomacy initiative was in its third year, Serbs had warmed towards Malaysia.
“Serbia supported Malaysia in all our nominations to 13 international bodies, including the UN Security Council. We managed to bring our palm oil to trade in Serbia, which is a bridge to markets in Western and Eastern Europe.”
The change in attitude towards Malaysia among initially unfriendly people would not have been possible if not for the mission’s public diplomacy, said Yubazlan.
“We have always been a trading nation. But we cannot talk about business and trade with others when there is no trust. And trust is gained through public diplomacy.
“Regaining trust is especially important in the post-Covid-19 world and that is what the Prime Minister has been doing by travelling throughout the world, to regain that trust towards us.”
