63 Good Civil - Military Relations In Malaysia: Contributory Factors GOOD CIVIL - MILITARY RELATIONS IN MALAYSIA: CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS 1 by Azman Ayob Faculty of Administrative Science & Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. E-mail: azmanayob@salam.uitm.edy.my azmanbfy@yahoo.com 1. Introduction Malaysia had never experienced a military takeover or a coup de ‘etat. The civilian-military relations in Malaysia are very cordial. The military knows its roles to be played in this country. So does the civilian government, in keeping and taking care of the military. The Malaysian military obviously does not take part in politics. The civilian control of the military in Malaysia is well organized and eficient. The ultimate interest of both the civilian government and the military – which is the economic and political stability in multiracial Malaysia – has made the military challenge to the civilian government unnecessary and impractical. The civilian control of the military can be traced back to colonial times. As a former British protectorate, the British civil services and bureaucrats were put into the position to be able to check on the military 2 . The British had never exercised a total military rule in Malaya, except for a few years right after the end of the Second World War – the British Military Administration (BMA). Even during the BMA, it was only the administrative aspects that were militaristic in nature. The Malaysian Federal Constitution has explicitly mentioned that the 1 This article has been presented at “ICAS 5: Sharing A Future In Asia,” Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, 2 -5 August 2007 2 Claude E. Welch (1976) Civilian Control Of The Military: Theory And Cases From Developing Countries, New York: State University Press, p. 67.