PM Modi concluded his two-day Malaysia visit, strengthening ties with PM Anwar Ibrahim. The visit saw multiple agreements on defence, semiconductors, trade, cross-border payments (UPI), and the establishment of an Indian Consulate General.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed from Kuala Lumpur airport on Sunday after concluding his two-day official visit, during which a series of initiatives were unveiled to deepen cooperation across defence and security, semiconductors and trade.
Strengthening Bilateral Partnership
The visit saw PM Modi hold wide-ranging discussions with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, aimed at strengthening the bilateral partnership across strategic, economic and people-centric domains. PM Modi arrived in Kuala Lumpur on February 7 and was accorded a grand red-carpet reception by PM Ibrahim. He later received a ceremonial welcome at Perdana Putra on Sunday morning, marking the commencement of official engagements.
Addressing the media during the visit, PM Modi underlined the historical and cultural foundations of India-Malaysia relations. "India and Malaysia share a special relationship. We are maritime neighbours. For centuries, our people have had deep and affectionate ties. Today, Malaysia is the second largest country in the world with a population of Indian origin. Our civilisations, shared cultural heritage, and democratic values bind us together," he said.
As part of the official programme, PM Ibrahim hosted an official luncheon in honour of PM Modi, following which the two leaders oversaw the exchange of multiple bilateral documents aimed at strengthening institutional collaboration.
Placing the partnership in a broader regional context, PM Modi said, "The Indo-Pacific region is emerging as the growth engine of the world," reaffirming India's commitment to development, peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific alongside ASEAN. He also outlined plans to deepen cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security, while making defence ties more comprehensive. "Along with AI and digital technologies, we will advance partnerships in semiconductors, health, and food security," PM Modi added.
Key Agreements and Initiatives Announced
The visit took place at the invitation of PM Ibrahim. India and Malaysia established diplomatic relations in 1957, which were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024. Among the key initiatives announced during the visit was the establishment of an Indian Consulate General in Malaysia. According to Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, the move will improve access to consular and passport services, strengthen outreach to the Indian diaspora, enhance commercial engagement and provide greater support for Indians in Malaysia.
The two sides also agreed on cross-border payments cooperation between NPCI International Payments Ltd and Malaysia's PAYNET SDN BHD, enabling UPI-based transactions for tourists and smoother payments for the diaspora, while reducing dependence on cash and supporting Indian fintech firms.
An audio-visual co-production agreement was signed between the two governments to facilitate joint film production, strengthen cultural ties, enable pooling of audiovisual resources and showcase Indian culture, Jaiswal said.
India and Malaysia also signed an MoU on cooperation in disaster management, covering recovery, rehabilitation and rescue operations, exchange of knowledge and best practices, and enhancement of disaster response capabilities.
An MoU on cooperation in combating and preventing corruption was concluded between the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and India's Central Bureau of Investigation, facilitating exchange of knowledge on corruption prevention and detection, dialogue, awareness and greater transparency in governance.
The two governments further exchanged letters on cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping to promote peace, security and stability, and exchanged notes on cooperation in semiconductors to build capabilities, enhance competitiveness, create employment opportunities and strengthen resilient supply chains.
Malaysia also joined India's International Big Cats Alliance through a framework agreement aimed at strengthening global conservation efforts and supporting wildlife and environmental protection.
A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between India's Employees' State Insurance Corporation and Malaysia's Social Security Organisation on social security programmes for Indian citizens working in Malaysia, aimed at improving health, safety and welfare and facilitating expeditious benefit payments.
The two sides also exchanged notes on cooperation in vocational education and training, focusing on information exchange, expertise sharing, capacity building, institutional linkages, youth development and employability enhancement.
Additional exchanges covered security cooperation between the National Security Council Secretariat of India and the National Security Council of Malaysia to address new and emerging threats, as well as cooperation in health and medicine to improve service delivery, capacity building of healthcare providers, exchange of best practices and research collaboration.
The report of the 10th Malaysia-India CEO Forum was presented with the objective of strengthening economic partnership, boosting trade and investment, enhancing technology collaboration and generating employment opportunities.
Further announcements included the establishment of a dedicated Thiruvalluvar Centre at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur to promote research in arts, culture, leadership and management, along with academic exchanges and knowledge sharing, and the institution of Thiruvalluvar Scholarships for Malaysian nationals to enable studies in Indian institutions and foster student and faculty exchanges.
An MoU was also signed between the University of Cyberjaya and India's Institute of Training and Research in Ayurveda to promote collaboration in traditional medicine, expert capacity building, holistic healthcare access and research facilitation.
These outcomes reflect the growing momentum in India-Malaysia ties across strategic, economic and cultural domains. (ANI)
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