Diplomasi Sub-Regional: Peran Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) dalam Membangun Konektivitas dan Pertumbuhan di Asia Tenggara

Kheysa Husna Khasifa Romadoni (Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa)
Hilda Fitriyanti (Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik Unversitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa)
Ivana Joya Mahadina (Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik Unversitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa)
Elly Nurlia (Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik Unversitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa)

Sociale : Journal of Social and Political Sciences
Vol 1 No 2 (2025): Sociale

The Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), established in 1993, is a sub-regional cooperation framework to strengthen connectivity and economic integration in Southeast Asia. This study analyzes the role of IMT-GT as a form of development diplomacy using descriptive qualitative methods through a literature review sourced from academic journals, ADB reports, and government publications. The findings show that the IMT-GT has undergone a significant shift from infrastructure-based cooperation to multidimensional collaboration emphasizing digital connectivity, green economy, and local empowerment. More specifically, Indonesia prioritizes inclusive development in Sumatra, Malaysia consolidates itself as a regional halal industry and logistics hub, while Thailand integrates the IMT-GT into its digital and green transformation agenda. Key challenges include infrastructure gaps, cross-border policy coordination, and funding constraints. Overall, the IMT-GT has demonstrated measurable achievements in strengthening sub-regional integration and the effectiveness of development diplomacy, although greater policy coherence is still needed to ensure the sustainability of the program.