Outside of the countries in the Maghreb and Sahel, the 2 (!) other countries in green are Seychelles and Malaysia! Quite an odd combination - perhaps Algeria’s hidden gambit for Indian Ocean control?

A visit to the website of the Algerian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur proves fascinating.

In the first line, on a page titled “Historical Background”:

Algeria opened its Embassy in Kuala Lumpur in 1993. Relations between Algeria and Malaysia are excellent.

It’s apparently excellent! Never in my life have I heard any utterance with these two countries together, but I guess I have been missing out. Other parts of the website seems lively and functional.

Still, I have to ask myself, to what honour does Malaysia have to get elusive visa-free access to Algeria? (and to some extent vice-versa, although Malaysia is quite open towards visitors.)

Taking a quick look at the history, and the culprit is, of course, Mahathir. For all the good and bad in this country, it seems all roads always lead to him.

In a speech he made in 2003 Algiers:

Malaysia is very keen to have a stronger presence in the Northern African region. This is in line with the effort to encourage Malaysian businesses to tap the potential for trade among South countries which has not been explored to the fullest.

It is recognised that Algeria is the second largest country in Africa after Sudan with a population of 32.3 million, which is larger than the 24 million population of Malaysia. Algeria is Malaysia’s second largest trading partner in Northern Africa, with trade in 2002 amounting to 116.1 million U.S. Dollars. Malaysia’s exports to Algeria in 2002 was 113.6 million U.S. Dollars and imports was 2.5 million U.S. Dollars, a gross imbalance which needs to be addressed.

Alongside the neoliberal hits he was known for

…This is to ensure that the private sector can continue to be the primary engine of economic growth. Through the Malaysia-Incorporated Policy which has been adopted more than a decade ago, we are able to create a smart partnership between the government and private sector to achieve mutual benefit and help develop our country.

But alas that has been the common thread of Malaysian foreign policy. Mired with contradictions of history.

Despite its putative allure, a closer reading of Mahathir’s Malaysia, its position and its relationships with globalisation will reveal not a rejection of globalisation in toto but a rather more selective engaged relationship with globalisation. Its economic agenda remains wedded to an open and globalised economy and yet, it combines a syncretic mix of structuralism, modernization and dependency theories and a dose of neo-colonialist discourses. Intended to reintroduce agency and space back into the closed frameworks and representational categories of a globalising (and somewhat universalizing) trend, Malaysia’s strategies have shown us states are still relevant and that we can (re)discover, reaffirm and articulate our own agency, build and develop alternative ‘local’ practices and resources as we engaged with the contours of global capitalism. - Mahathir, Malaysia and Globalisation: Challenging Orthodoxy

But going back to the topic at hand, we have to ask ourselves, again, why visa-free?

A quick glance at the OEC site showcases unremarkable trade statistics.

Recent news does seem quite optimistic:

Malaysia, Algeria sign deal to develop mining industry 2025/06/18

Malaysia and Algeria have officially launched a strategic industrial cooperation project worth 8 billion USD, backed by Malaysia’s Lion Group, marking a major step forward in bilateral ties and ushering in a new development phase for Algeria’s mining sector.

Algeria, Malaysia have made significant progress in bilateral ties – Ambassador 2022/11/02

Maandi explained that the Algerian new investment law, approved recently by the government, which aims at attracting foreign investors and improving its business climate, would certainly encourage Malaysian investors to look for investment opportunities and do business in Algeria.

Or could it possibly be Malaysian and Algerian Islamic histories of post-colonial regrets and complicated labour and settler colonial migrations that had struck a chord.

Sénac’s vision of Algeria as ‘a raceless culture,’ a multicultural and plural society tolerant and acceptant of its diversity, would be deeply frustrated by Ben Bella’s turn toward ‘Arabization’ and ‘Islamization’ as the new authentic poles of Algerian identity. As Algeria turned more exclusively toward the type of Arab nationalism promoted by Nasser, Sénac’s disenchantment with the country’s betrayal of its pluralistic identity became more and more visible in his poetry: ‘I love you—but wait, I am speaking to the void! I gave up my love to the cicadas of Europe. I gave up everything—Revolution!—for what? A rolling dune without a mirage to rest his head on! - Re-remembering Third Worldism: An Affirmative Critique of National Liberation in Algeria

Compare that to Malaysia, a country 10,000km away.

By now, the Salafization of Malaysian Islam seems to be beyond doubt, barring a future resurgence of traditionalist ulama who are able to provide a convincing counter narrative and at the same time strategically attempt a capture of the commanding heights of Malaysia’s power centres. Discomfort expressed in public forums about “Arabization” is symptomatic of Wahhabi-Salafi categories increasingly defining the terrain of Malay-Muslim society through the use of terms that are decontextualizing, dehistoricizing and deculturating (cf. Koya 2015; Zahiid 2016). - The Extensive Salafization of Malaysian Islam

Perhaps, one day I can knock the door of the Embassy and get a response directly from the source.

Regardless, this quiet diplomacy continues and we go on about our lives.

Some works I have referenced are behind pay-walls. I can personally share if requested, although would like suggestions for which sites to upload them on.