Bilateral ties betweenMalaysia and theUnited States were established uponMalayan independence in 1957. The US was, and still is one of the largest trading partners for Malaysia and is traditionally considered to be Malaysia's oldest and closest ally in military, economic and education sectors.[1]Malaya was the predecessor state to Malaysia, a larger federation formed through the merger of Malaya,North Borneo,Sarawak andSingapore in 1963. Immediately before the merger, the latter three territories were previously part of theBritish Empire. But the US has had consular and commercial presence in Malaya since the 1800s.[2] US merchants, especiallyJoseph William Torrey together withThomas Bradley Harris also had commercial interests in north western coast ofBorneo in the 19th century as well, where they established theAmerican Trading Company of Borneo.[3][4]
Malaysia has its embassy inWashington, D.C., andconsulate-general offices inLos Angeles andNew York City.[5] The United States maintains its embassy inKuala Lumpur.[6] Beginning in April 2014, the US considered Malaysia as a Comprehensive Partner which increased the importance of diplomatic ties as part of PresidentBarack Obama'sPivot to Asia policy. The partnership increased bilateral consultations and co-operation on politics, diplomacy, trade, investment, education, people-to-people ties, security, the environment, science, technology and energy,[7] which continued to be enhanced by PresidentDonald Trump in 2017.[8]
In 2016, the US is Malaysia's third largest export market in terms of value,[9] while Malaysia is the US's 25th largest export destination and among thelargest trading partners for the latter.[10]
The United States has a long commercial interest in Malaysia, dating back since the 1800s when the territories now part of the Southeast Asian country were part of theBritish Empire.[11] While Malaysia through Malaya only established a diplomatic presence in the US beginning from 1957, the US had consular posts in Malaya and commercial interests in northern Borneo since the 1800s.[3] In 1850, the US recognised the status ofKingdom of Sarawak which was established by an Englishman namedJames Brooke as anindependent state.[12] US merchants Torrey and Harris through theAmerican Trading Company of Borneo had a tract of land in north western of Borneo, which was however sold toBaron von Overbeck in 1876.[3][4] The US further appointed a consul inGeorge Town in 1918 and established additional consular posts in Kuala Lumpur in 1948 andKuching in 1968.[13] The modern ties between Malaysia and the US are generally warm with the US had supported Malaysia during theIndonesia–Malaysia confrontation, an armed conflict arising from Indonesian opposition to theformation of Malaysia, marking the beginning of US direct involvement in the political affairs of Malaysia.[14][15] Earlier during theWorld War II, the US played a role in the liberation of Southeast Asia fromJapanese occupation especially in theliberation of Borneo as the island is located close to theCommonwealth of the Philippines, which is aprotectorate of the latter.[16] During theMalayan Emergency, the Malayan government and the British colonialists received aid from the United States to suppress the communist independence rebellion.[17]
Political relations, however became strained, under theBush administration during theIraq War.Mahathir Mohamad who ruled from 1981 until 2003 was critical of theforeign policy of the United States at the time, especially the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration'sinvasion of Iraq during the Iraq War.[18] Nevertheless, these periods of tensions between the two nations did not prevent the US from being one of the largest trading partners for Malaysia during Mahathir's tenure.[19] The US was, and still is one of the largest trading partners for Malaysia and is traditionally considered to be Malaysia's closest ally.[20] In 2002, Malaysia-US Friendship Council was established to strengthen the friendship between the Malaysian government and the US government.Mohd Noor Amin, Chairman of theInternational Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber Threats (IMPACT), was appointed as the Secretary-General for this council. The council is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and sponsored by leading Malaysian companies to offer advice on matters relating to bilateral relationship between the two countries.[21]
Under the helm of Prime MinisterNajib Razak's administration, the two-way diplomatic ties between the two sovereign nations have since warmed and became normalised once more.[22] Subsequently, US PresidentBarack Obama's made his firstofficial visit to Malaysia in April 2014, the first visit by a sitting US president since 1966.[22][23][24] Prime Minister Najib and President Obama issued a joint statement that, among other things, elevated the Malaysia-US relationship to a comprehensive partnership.[7] Malaysia is currently pursuing theTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) treaty with the support of the US until January 2017.[25][26] Both countries continue to enjoy warm relations with the two leaders became close personal friends. OnChristmas Eve in 2014, both Najib and Obama are seen playinggolf together inHawaii.[27] Following the victory ofDonald Trump in the2016 US presidential election, the relations continue to be strengthened with Najib was among the international leaders thatcongratulated Trump and looked forward to continuing a partnership with the US under hispresidency.[28] In June 2018, the United States Embassy in Kuala Lumpur hosting a series of programs in Sabah (the former North Borneo) to celebrate the 150+ years of partnership with the people of the territory.[29][30]
In July 2025, President Trump nominatedNick Adams as the new US ambassador to Malaysia.[32] This appointment was met withmuch opposition and protest in Malaysia.[33] In late October 2025, Trump undertook his first state visit to Malaysia where he attended the 47thASEAN summit, met with Prime MinisterAnwar Ibrahim and signed multiple trade agreements.[34][35]
The earliest significant economic relations between the territories now part of Malaysia, in particular Malaya, was the US involvement in the production and trade oftin andrubber.[38] Malaya at one time was thelargest single producer of both commodities and the US was the largest importer of Malayan tin. By 1917, rubber became Malaya's most important exports and the US absorbed 77% of Malaya's total rubber production.[39] The great demand for rubber was due to the rising production of automobile in Malaysia.[40]
In the modern days, the US is one of the largest foreign investor in Malaysia.[40] The American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce serves as a business association for collaboration between both countries.[41] While figures capturing the full range of foreign investment (including oil and gas) are not available, American companies are particularly active in the energy, electronics, and manufacturing sectors and employ nearly 200,000 Malaysian workers.[42] The cumulative value of US private investment in the manufacturing sector in Malaysia is roughly $15 billion.[40][43] In the 1970s, American companies, includingAgilent AMD,Fairchild Semiconductor,Freescale Semiconductor,Intel,Texas Instruments andWestern Digital pioneered the Malaysian electrical and electronics (E&E) sector, which exports billions of dollars of equipment to global supply chains every year. Major US oil and gas companies, includingExxonMobil,ConocoPhillips,Hess andMurphy Oil, have invested billions of dollars to develop Malaysia's energy resources. Many US-basedfast-food/coffeehouse chains such asA&W Restaurants,Burger King,Domino's Pizza,Dunkin' Donuts,KFC,McDonald's,Pizza Hut,Starbucks,Subway,Texas Chicken andWendy's had already dominating the Malaysian fast food/coffeehouse markets.[44][45] Recent[when?] US investors includeHershey,Kellogg's,Bose andGolden Gate Capital. The US is Malaysia's fourth largest trading partner and Malaysia is the 22nd largest trading partner of the US Annual two-way trade in goods and services in 2013[needs update] amounted to approximately $44 billion.[46]
Malaysia and the US launched negotiations for a bilateralfree trade agreement in June 2005 but did not conclude an agreement after eight rounds of talks.[47] Malaysian investment in the US is small but growing, particularly in leisure, gaming andbiotechnology.[48] Significant Malaysian companies operating in the US includeGenting's Resort World Casino and MOL Global, aNew York Stock Exchange listed company. In 2010, Malaysia joined the US,Australia,Brunei,Canada,Chile,Mexico,New Zealand,Peru,Singapore andVietnam in negotiating theTrans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) (Japan subsequently joined the negotiations in 2013).[49] This agreement seeks to expand market access, strengthen intellectual property protections, and support high labour and environmental standards while fostering greater economic integration among participants. The US however has since left the TPP in 2017.[26]
In early April 2025, thesecond Trump Administration imposed a 24% reciprocal tariff on Malaysian exports to the United States as part ofDonald Trump's globalLiberation Day tariffs. In response,Malaysian Finance MinisterAmir Hamzah Azizan said that the Malaysian government would seek to resolve differences with the United States through dialogue.[50] Malaysian Prime MinisterAnwar Ibrahim said that Malaysia would not face a recession and thatASEAN would coordinate a unified response.[51] In July 2025, the Trump administration announced plans to restrict AI chip shipments to Malaysia due to Chinese smuggling concerns.[52] As a result of the draft US rule to ban AI chip shipments, technology stocks and construction of data centers fell in Malaysia.[53]
In late July 2025, the Trump Administration lowered Malaysia's tariff rate from 24% to 19%, which came into effect on 5 August 2025.[54] On 26 October 2025, the Malaysian and US governments signed a trade agreement that exempted 1,711 Malaysian products from the US tariffs regime while still maintaining the 19% tariff rate on Malaysian exports to the US.[55][34] On 27 October, the two governments signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate the development of critical minerals and rare earth minerals in partnership with US companies.[56]
Creating Agents of Change (CAFC) at the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur, 2022
TheFulbright English Teaching Assistant program helping improve the English language skills of thousands of Malaysian secondary school students and there is around 6,000 alumni ofUnited States Department of State-sponsored exchange programs in Malaysia.[57][58] In 2014, President Obama announced additional exchange programs, grant opportunities and fellowships for youth ages 18–35 under the Young Southeast Asian Young Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). Since 2001, theAmbassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) has supported 10 projects to support the preservation of cultural heritage in Malaysia.[58]
Malaysia and the US enjoy strong security co-operation, with both have maintained steady defence co-operation and alliance since the 1990s.[59] While Malaysia's security are secured by theFive Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) with Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and theUnited Kingdom, the US also hasmilitary alliance with both Australia and New Zealand under theAustralia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS) and has established direct military and political co-operation with Singapore and Malaysia, whose armed forces were growing increasingly dependent on American arms shipments,[60] with theM4 carbine andM16 rifle became the major assault rifles for both armed forces.[61][62] Several US high-technology weapons systems also been purchased by Malaysia, notably theMcDonnell Douglas F/A-18D fighter aircraft,[59] andMcDonnell Douglas MD 530G attack helicopter.[63]
A United States Navy Lieutenant Dental Officer treating the Malaysian townspeople ofNilai,Negeri Sembilan during a medical and dental civic action project of CARAT in 2002.
During theBattle of Mogadishu in October 1993, 113 members of aMalaysian Army battalion was deployed as part of theUnited Nations Operation in Somalia II to rescue American rangers who were surrounded by Somali militants after two USSikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk was shot down by the latter.[64][65][66] On 1 July 2003, Malaysia established the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT), where the two countries collaborate in combating terrorist financing.[67] Both Malaysia and the US share a strong military-to-military relationship with numerous exchanges, training, joint exercises, and visits such as the annual participation of both countries in theCooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Exercise CARAT) and co-operation inInternational Military Education and Training (IMET).[68] The US is also among foreign countries that have collaborated with the centre in conducting capacity building programmes. Malaysia's Peacekeeping Centre provides pre-deployment training to Malaysian and other peacekeepers before deployment onUnited Nations (UN) missions. Through the Global Peace Operations Initiative, the US provided support for the Malaysian Peacekeeping Centre.[69] During President Obama's April 2014 visit, Malaysia endorsed theProliferation Security Initiative (PSI).[70]
Prime MinisterNajib Razak and PresidentBarack Obama met just before theNuclear Security Summit in Washington on 12 April 2010. This meeting was thought by many to represent a significant improvement in Malaysia–United States relations. This was their first one-on-one meeting. During their talk, Obama sought further assistance from Malaysia in stemming nuclear proliferation which Obama described as the greatest threat to world security.[84] In June 2009, Najib and Obama discussed via telephone the2008 financial crisis, nuclear non-proliferation issues and two Malaysians detained atGuantanamo Bay detention camp. During the summit Najib stressed that Malaysia only supported nuclear programmes designed for peaceful purposes. Najib's attendance at the summit was part of a week-long official visit to the US.[85]
US PresidentDonald Trump welcoming Prime MinisterNajib Razak during the latter's visit to the White House in 2017.
On 21 October 2013, Secretary of StateJohn Kerry and Secretary of CommercePenny Pritzker visited Kuala Lumpur to participate in theGlobal Entrepreneurship Summit. Secretary Kerry visited Malaysia again from 4 to 6 August 2015 to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).[86] On 26 April 2014, President Obama made a state visit to Malaysia. He is the second US president to visit Malaysia sinceLyndon B. Johnson in 1966.[87]
US Trade RepresentativeMichael Froman visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on four occasions, most recently in 2015.[101]
US Congress bipartisan delegation led byPaul Ryan, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in February 2015.[102]
US Secretary of StateMike Pompeo visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August 2018.[103]
US PresidentDonald Trump attended theASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in late October 2025. He met with Prime Minister Anwar, signed multiple trade agreements, and witnessed a peace accord betweenThailand andCambodia.[35]
According to global opinion polls, only 27% ofMalaysians viewed the US favourably in 2007, likely due to disapproval of US foreign policy against fellowIslamic nations. However, as of 2013, 55% of Malaysians view the US favourably, declining somewhat down to 51% in 2014. According to the same poll conducted in 2015, 54% of Malaysians had confidence that President Obama would do the right thing in international affairs.[105] According to the 2012 US Global Leadership Report, 34% of Malaysians approved of US leadership, with 31% disapproving and 35% uncertain.[106]
Malaysia has been a long-standing supporter for theState of Palestine right for existence andtheir statehood.[107] Following theOctober 7 attacks onIsrael and the subsequentIsraeli invasion of theGaza Strip in theGaza war with increasing Malaysia's sympathies towards Palestine,[108][109] the United States has sent three diplomaticdémarches towards Malaysia over its vocal stance on the issue and support of Palestinian militant group ofHamas.[110] The US also level up their sanctions against any foreign supporters of Hamas and other militant groups operating in Palestine through theHamas International Financing Prevention Act, aimed at cutting off international financing to the groups where Malaysia through its Prime Minister Anwar has responded that it will not recognise unilateral US sanctions on the Palestinian plight, withhis government closely monitoring the bill's, adding that it could affect Malaysia only if Malaysia is proven to provide any material support to Hamas or thePalestinian Islamic Jihad.[111] Malaysia'sPrime Minister Office despite its continuous support towards the Palestinian cause has stated that they condemn terrorism in all its forms, and also categorically condemnthe actions of Hamas killing innocent lives and taking Israeli women and children as hostages.[112]A 2024Pew Research poll shows that 84 per cent of Malaysians are dissatisfied with the way US PresidentJoe Biden is handlingIsrael's war in Gaza.[113]
In December 2023, theUnited States Department of the Treasury sanctioned four Malaysian-based companies that were accused of assisting Iran's production of drones. The United States Government has accused Iran of exporting drones to what it considers "terrorist proxies" in the Middle East and to Russian forces in Ukraine. In early May 2024Brian E. Nelson, theUnder Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, alleged that Malaysian operators were using "ship-to-ship" oil transfers to transport Iranian oil in violation of US sanctions on Iran.[114] The US-based watchdog United Against Nuclear Iran also alleged that Malaysian operators were facilitating the export of Iranian oil to China under the "Malaysian blend" brand.[115]
Following US officials' claims that Iran relies on Malaysian service providers to sell oil under US sanctions in the region, a senior government official said, Malaysia does not recognise economic sanctions imposed by the United States or any other individual country.[116]
^abFrank Tatu (1990). "The United States Consul, the Yankee Raja, Ellena and the Constitution: A Historical Vignette".Archipel.40 (1).Persée:79–90.doi:10.3406/arch.1990.2667.
^"Executive Summary [Malaysia]"(PDF).United States Department of State. June 2014. Retrieved28 February 2018.For example, while official U.S. statistics estimate cumulative U.S investment in Malaysia totals $15 billion, a 2005 survey by the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce claimed this number was actually more than US$30 billion.
^"USS America Arrives In Malaysia".Mass Communication Specialist 2ndd Class Kristina Young USS America (LHA 6) Public Affairs. 14 August 2017. Retrieved12 February 2025 – via U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
^"Bonhomme Richard Arrives in Malaysia".Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adam D. Wainwright, USS Bonhomme Richard Public Affairs. 23 February 2015. Retrieved12 February 2025 – via Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
^Fairbanks, Lt.j.g. Alexander (25 June 2019)."USS Pioneer arrives in Kota Kinabalu".USS Pioneer Public Affairs. Retrieved12 February 2025 – via Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet.
^"Fruitful visit to USA".Prime Minister's Office (Malaysia). 24 September 2023.Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved12 November 2023.
Gould, James W.The United States and Malaysia (Cambridge UP, 1969)
Heil, Karl. "Malaysian Americans."Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 3, Gale, 2014), pp. 155–162.online
Lim, Shirley Geoklin.Among the White Moon Faces: An Asian American Memoir of Homelands (Feminist Press, 1996).excerpt
Sodhy, Pamela. "Malaysian–American Relations during Indonesia's Confrontation against Malaysia, 1963–66."Journal of Southeast Asian Studies 19.1 (1988): 111–136.online
Pamela Sodhy (2012)."Malaysia-US Relations 2000-2011"(PDF). Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Malaysia. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 6 March 2018. Retrieved28 February 2018.
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from"(U.S. Relations With Malaysia)".U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets.United States Department of State.
