Locating Corruption within International Relations Discourse: the 1MDB Corruption Scandal in Malaysia

Corruption is an understudied phenomenon in International Relations (IR). A quick survey of literature would yield very little in terms of how Corruption is studied and conceptualized within IR discourse. This gap in the literature is problematic because such an important phenomenon that happens within the realm of foreign policy and global politics cannot be overlooked or ignored. This leads to incomplete analyses, the forming of views and skewed knowledge, and impaired policymaking. We can posit several reasons as to why Corruption is overlooked: knowledge production within IR is beset with coloniality and Eurocentrism that phenomena that do not necessarily feature in how the Global North conducts IR are just overlooked and ignored, and IR as perceived and conducted by the Global North is presented and perceived as universal. Thankfully, in recent years, decolonial critiques of IR have emerged to offer alternative approaches and methodologies. This paper intends to add further to the decolonial critique of IR by offering a systematic approach to understanding and conceptualizing Corruption. This paper draws from the discourse on the Sociology of Corruption by Syed Hussein Alatas in the 1970s. By taking Hussein Alatas’ framework as a starting point, this paper shall attempt to incorporate it to the field of IR by discussing the characteristics, nature and functions of Corruption on the international level. To demonstrate this, this paper shall discuss the “1Malaysia Development Berhad” scandal in Malaysia  in relation to the functions of Corruption within international relations and the making of foreign policy.