Revisiting the Concept of Serumpun in Malaysia-Indonesia Relations Ahmad Nizar Ya’akub Faculty of Social Sciences Universiti Malaysia Sarawak 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak nizar@fss.unimas.my Abstract: In the post-Cold War period, there is more confict than co-operation between Malaysia and Indonesia. This contradicts the spirit of ‘serumpun’, which has been the backdrop to the ‘special relationship’ between the two countries. This paper analyses the historical factors that give meaning to the ‘serumpun’ concept. ‘Serumpun’ reached its height during the era of Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak and President Suharto. I argue that in the post-Cold War period, there emerged signifcant differences in the perception of the concept of ‘serumpun’ due primarily to the generational gap and the new social, economic and political realities facing both countries. This paper suggests that the ‘serumpun’ concept can justifably be maintained as the basis for a ‘special relationship’ between the two countries but new practical pillars (particularly co-operation in trade and investment) must be constructed to enrich the ‘serumpun’ concept. Keywords: culture, economy, ethnic, race, serumpun INTRODUCTION Malaysia and Indonesia have a ‘special relationship’. In diplomacy, the term ‘special relationship’ is used to describe a condition where there are exceptionally strong ties between countries and even emotional connections between their leaders. The former British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill used the term ‘special relationship’ to depict the exceptionally close cultural, diplomatic, historical and political relations that the United Kingdom had with the United States. In the Malaysian and Indonesian context, the ‘special relationship’ is defned by the serumpun concept, which has been a foundation of the relationship since both countries gained independence. However, the current general perception is that there is more confict and rivalry than co-operation between Malaysia and Indonesia, contradicting the spirit of serumpun.