Konfrontasi and Regional Stability in Southeast Asia (1963–1966): A Systematic Review of Political, Military, and Diplomatic Dimensions

The Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation, which occurred from 1963 to 1966 and is also known as Konfrontasi, marked a pivotal moment in Southeast Asia’s postcolonial development, shaped by ideological rivalry, regional insecurity, and Cold War geopolitics. Initiated by Indonesia’s opposition to Malaysia's formation, the conflict unfolded through nationalist propaganda, cross-border military operations in Borneo, and strategic diplomatic maneuvering by both regional and international actors. While existing scholarship has examined Konfrontasi through various disciplinary lenses, comprehensive synthesis remains limited. This study undertakes a systematic literature review to integrate key academic perspectives on the political, military, and diplomatic dimensions of Konfrontasi, with particular emphasis on its impact on regional stability and state formation. We sourced relevant literature from 1960 to 2025 from JSTOR, SAGE Journals, Taylor and Francis, and Google Scholar, utilising the PRISMA methodology. Six methodologically robust studies were identified and appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). These works address interlinked themes including British counterinsurgency doctrine, Cold War alignments, Indonesian nationalist rhetoric, Australian military engagement via the Anglo-Malayan Defence Agreement (AMDA), civilian-led resistance in the Sarawak and Sabah borderlands, and elite diplomacy culminating in the 1966 Bangkok Accord. The findings demonstrate that while Konfrontasi strained bilateral relations and destabilised the region, it paradoxically contributed to the emergence of institutional regionalism, most notably through the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967. The conflict’s legacy endures in the diplomatic architecture of Southeast Asia, reinforcing principles of noninterference, regional consensus, and multilateral security cooperation.