India and Malaysia reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral military cooperation during the 12th India-Malaysia Sub Committee Meeting on Military Cooperation (SCMC) held in New Delhi on Tuesday, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening defence ties and promoting peace, security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific.
The meeting was co-chaired by Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Amitabh Prasad and Assistant Chief of Staff (Defence Operations & Training) of the Malaysian Armed Forces, Maj Gen Amer Mahmud Bin Abdul Rahman.
The two sides reviewed ongoing defence engagements, including military-to-military exchanges, bilateral exercises, training programmes, staff talks, capacity building, maritime cooperation and collaboration in emerging domains. They expressed satisfaction with the steady progress in bilateral military relations and agreed to further expand professional exchanges and participation in each other’s military training institutions.
Discussions also focused on enhancing cooperation in defence industry, defence technology, cybersecurity and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).
India and Malaysia appreciated each other’s active participation in the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) framework and reaffirmed their commitment to practical cooperation under the Experts’ Working Group on Counter-Terrorism. The two delegations also exchanged views on regional and global security developments, reiterating their shared commitment to maintaining peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific in accordance with international law.
The meeting underscored the importance of defence cooperation as a key pillar of the India-Malaysia Enhanced Strategic Partnership. Both countries reaffirmed their resolve to deepen military ties based on mutual trust, shared interests and a common vision for a secure and stable Indo-Pacific.
The SCMC serves as the principal military-to-military consultative mechanism between India and Malaysia and lays the groundwork for the India-Malaysia Defence Cooperation Meeting at the Defence Secretary level. During the visit, the Malaysian delegation also called on Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, visited DPSU Bhawan at the World Trade Centre in New Delhi, and paid tribute to India’s fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial.
