India and Malaysia on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the Enhanced Strategic Partnership based on “mutual trust and understanding, common interests and shared values of democracy and rule of law”.

Besides that, leading Navratna defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has established its first regional office outside India in Kuala Lumpur to explore business opportunities which would be inaugurated by the visiting Defence Minister on Tuesday. HAL is eyeing MRO business since Malaysian Air Force has a fleet of Russian Sukhoi (Su-30MKMs) fighter aircraft, said sources. HAL is manufacturing them in India.

The commitment, meanwhile, from the both the countries to fully implement emerged during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Kuala Lumpur where he held extensive discussions with his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan on strengthening bilateral ties which is expected to give further push to India’s ‘Act East Policy’.

Both Ministers approved amendment in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation between India and Malaysia signed in 1993, through ‘Exchange of Letters’ (EoL) which, the MoDsaid, will “act as an enabler to expand bilateral defence cooperation in the areas of mutual interest”.

“Had an excellent meeting with the Defence Minister of Malaysia, Mohamad Hasan in Kuala Lumpur today. We reviewed the diverse pillars of the extensive bilateral defence engagement and discussed the roadmap for the 4th Decade of India-Malaysia Defence Cooperation,” Singh tweeted.

The Ministry of Defence issued a statement stating that both the sides discussed initiatives to further expand bilateral defence ties, with particular focus on identifying ways to strengthen industrial cooperation.

The two Ministers agreed to the next Malaysia-India Defence Cooperation Committee (MIDCOM) meeting being planned in India later this year. Hinting towards HAL’s potential to do MRO job, the MoD said “Singh highlighted the potential of the Indian defence industry with capacity and capability to cooperate with Malaysian Armed Forces in its inventory modernisation and maintenance plans”.

The Defence Minister, later, called on Prime Minister of Malaysia YB Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim and conveyed warm greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Recalling his successful visit to India in 2019, the Malaysian Prime Minister reciprocated the greetings by highlighting that he has great love for people of India and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is his personal friend, stated the MoD.

The Malaysian PM, as per the Ministry, expressed appreciation of the strong cultural bonds between both nations. Singh also briefed the Malaysian PM about the “fruitful and productive defence dialogue” held earlier in the day.

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