From Undang-Undang Melaka to UNCLOS: Ethical Governance and Geopolitical Peace in the Maritime Malay-Indo Archipelago

Author

Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia, Indonesia

10.22081/phlq.2025.77882

Abstract

Despite UNCLOS serving as the primary legal framework governing maritime conduct, challenges remain in effectively embedding human rights principles, ethical governance and inclusivity within its implementation, especially in geopolitically sensitive regions such as Malay Indo Archipelago. This raises the question of how fundamental legal traditions, such as those found in 15th century Undang-Undang Melaka, a customary maritime code emphasizing human dignity, ethical conducts, and inclusive community governance- can highly inform and enrich contemporary international maritime law. The problem lies in the apparent disconnect between modern state centered ethical governance regimes and the human centered ethical governance principles that underpin long lasting peace. This study critically examines how the human right norms embedded in the Undang- Undang Melaka align with or differ from those in UNCLOS, arguing that the incorporation of these ethical and inclusive governance principle is crucial for fostering maritime cooperation, trust, and ultimately geopolitical peace. By exploring these normative intersections through a qualitative legal analysis, the research aims to demonstrate that the revitalization of customary law’s humanistic maritime governance, promoting more equitable and peaceful relations among maritime states. 

Keywords


Acharya. A (2023). Before the Nation-State: Civilizations, World Orders, and the Origins of Global International Relations. The Chinese Journal of International Politics,16(3), pp. 263–288. https://doi.org/10.1093/cjip/poad011
Al Imran, H. (2022). Rohingya Boat Refugees at Bay of Bengal and Obligations of the South East Asian States Under Soft Law. Liverpool Law Rev, no. 43, pp. 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10991-021-09286-z
Amalia, A.D. (2019). The Protection of Refugee Rights Beyond a Legal Approach in Southeast Asia. In The Evolution of the ASEAN Human Rights Mehcanism: Institutional and Thematic Issues Within, Nandyatama, R.W., Tobing, D.H. & Bharat. S.S. (eds), Yogyakarta: ASEAN Studies Centre.
Andaya. L.Y &Andaya, B.W. (2017). A History of Malaysia. Palgrave Macmillan.
Balakrishnan, K.S. & Varkkey, H. (2017). The Straits of Malacca: Malaysia’s Threat Perception and Strategy for Maritime Security. In: Tarling, N. & Chen, X. (eds), Maritime Security in East and Southeast Asia. Palgrave, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2588-4_3
Bateman, S. & & Hanich, Q. (2013). Maritime Security Issues in an Arc of Instability and Opportunity. Security Challenges, 9(4), pp. 87-105.    
http://www.jstor.org/stable/26462943
Bateman. S, (2007). Building good order at sea in Southeast Asia: the Promise of international regimes. In Maritime Security in Southeast Asia, Kwa Chong Guan and John K Skogan (eds). London & New York: Routledge.
Creswell, J.W. & Poth, C.N. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Approach. 5th ed. Sage publication.
Emmers, R. (2009). Geopolitics and Maritime Territorial Disputes in East Asia. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203875018
Farquhar, R.A.S. (1816). Undang-Undang Raja Melaka, Indonesian Manuscript in Great Britain. URL= https://royalasiaticcollections.org/mm_farquhar_01_1-undang-undang-raja-melaka/
Ho, J. (2007). The Importance and Securityty of regional sea lanes. In: Maritime Security in Southeast Asia, Kwa Chong Guan and John K Skogan (eds.), London & New York: Routledge.
Kaplan, R.D. (2015). Asia's cauldron: the South China Sea and the end of a stable Pacific. Random House Trade paperback edition. Random House.
Kraska. J. (2011). Maritime Power and the Law of the Sea: Expeditionary Operations in World Politics. Oxford University Press.
Mansfield, B. (2007). Articulation between Neoliberal and State-Oriented Environmental Regulation: Fisheries Privatization and Endangered Species Protection. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 39(8),
pp. 1926-1942. https://doi.org/10.1068/a38176
Patton, M.C. (2015). Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. London: Sage Publication.
Schlieman, L. (2023). Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in Southeast Asia: Trends and Actors. Asia Policy, 18(4), pp. 71-92.   
https://www.jstor.org/stable/27291287
Schreier, M. (2012). Qualitative Content Analysis in Practice. London: Sage Publication.
Voll, J.O. (1994). Islam as a Special World-System. Journal of World History, 5(2), pp. 213-226.
Winstedt, R.O. (1945). Old Malay Legal Digests and Malay Customary Law. The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, no. 1,
pp. 17-29.
Xu, K. (2017). The Challenges of Maritime Security Cooperation in the Straits
of Malacca: Another Singapore Perspective
. In: Tarling, N. & Chen, X.
(eds), Maritime Security in East and Southeast Asia. Palgrave, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2588-4_5
Zhou, K. & Ye, Q. (2023). The Relationship between UNCLOS and Customary International Law: Some Reflections. In: Marine Policy, vol. 154,   
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105691