COMMENT | Malaysia in a shifting world order

COMMENT | The global geopolitical landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. For decades, American dominance economically, militarily, and diplomatically has defined the post–Cold War international order.

Today, that dominance is increasingly challenged by emerging powers and shifting global alignments. The rise of competing powers, growing distrust of US intentions, and the resurgence of nationalist economic policies, particularly under Donald Trump’s second term, are accelerating the fragmentation of global power.

In place of a US-led unipolar order, a multipolar world is emerging, one increasingly defined by the rivalry between the United States, an emerging axis of Russia-China-India (RCI), and a recalibrated European Union.

Trump’s recent moves to impose tariffs on a wide swath of countries, including traditional allies like the European Union, Canada, South Korea, and India, mark a decisive...