The 13th meeting of Malaysia-India Defence Cooperation Committee (MIDCOM) recently took place in Kuala Lumpur.

The meeting was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Mr Rajesh Kumar Singh and Secretary General of Ministry of Defence, Malaysia Mr Lokman Hakim Bin Ali.

As per the ministry of defence the two sides held wide-ranging discussions on effective & practical initiatives to further expand bilateral defence engagements and regional & global issues.

Both chairs identified steps to further enhance cooperation in emerging areas such as cyber security and AI. They identified ways to deepen existing collaboration, particularly in the defence industry, maritime security, and multilateral engagements. They agreed to form a joint focus group to address non-traditional maritime security threats.

Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the new initiatives under the defence pillar of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as envisioned by Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the latter’s visit to India in August 2024.

Both sides also exchanged the finalised ToR (Terms of Reference) on the establishment of Su-30 forum as an outcome of MIDCOM. Su-30 Forum will enable closer cooperation between the two Air Forces in exchanging expertise and best practices in Su-30 maintenance.

The Defence Secretary highlighted the capability of the Indian defence industry, particularly its potential to collaborate with the Malaysian companies and the Armed Forces in their capability enhancement and modernisation.

India considers Malaysia as an important partner in the Indo-Pacific as Malaysia lies at the confluence of three key foreign policy visions i.e. Act East Policy, SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.