BUY BRITISH LAST

Abstract

Many scholars who have written on the Buy British Last policy have not discussed it in greater depth, and the issue itself does not seem to be getting anymore attention. Prior to the execution of the policy, Malaysia and Britain were already entangled with a number of controversies that severed the economic relations between the two countries. This bilateral tension worsened when former Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohammad, in retaliation over exorbitant student fees at British universities, announced the Buy British Last policy in 1981. The article has two major concerns in this regard: to explore the rationale of the policy and  to comprehend Malaysia’s exercise of diplomatic protest as a retaliatory measure against Britain. Consequently, the British had to send diplomatic mission to Malaysia to resolve the issue. It is also worthwhile to note that surmounting preassures compelled Britain to reach a compromise with Malaysia in order to normalize relations; as the policy was detrimental to both countries. Although the matter was eventually resolved, the Malaysia-Britain relation has been fundamentally changed and was never to be the same again. This article, therefore, also examines how Dr. Mahathir had reshaped Malaysia’s diplomatic ties with Britain. Briefly, it deals with events leading up to the announcement of the Buy British Last policy, its rationale and process of implementation, as well as the overall impact of the policy.