Malaysia, Australia Elevate Defence Ties with New Strategic Planning Committee

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — Malaysia and Australia have agreed to elevate their bilateral defence partnership by establishing a Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) to drive and oversee practical defence cooperation between both nations.

The agreement was reached during the 6th Australia-Malaysia High-Level Committee (HLC) meeting in Geelong, Australia, co-chaired by Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles.

In a joint statement issued following the meeting, both ministers reaffirmed the enduring strength of their defence partnership, rooted in decades of mutual trust, shared security interests, and support for ASEAN centrality.

“The ministers agreed to elevate the Malaysia-Australia defence partnership and establish, as a first step, a Strategic Planning Committee, with the Committee to convene at the earliest opportunity to drive priority areas of practical defence cooperation and oversee their implementation,” the joint statement read.

Both leaders welcomed expanding collaboration under the Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Programme (MAJDP)—including Exercise Keris Strike 2026 in Sabah, expanded special forces and maritime cooperation, and increased personnel exchanges. They also reaffirmed the ongoing value of Operation Gateway in supporting regional maritime domain awareness and agreed to explore greater integration between the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Australian Defence Force.

To facilitate joint activities, the two countries signed the renewed Malaysia-Australia Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement (MLSA), aimed at improving logistical support, interoperability, and future operational engagements.

On infrastructure, the ministers noted significant progress on runway remediation and facility upgrades at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Butterworth Air Base, with completion targeted for the end of 2026. The milestone will be marked with a joint ceremony, highlighting RMAF Butterworth’s pivotal role in bilateral cooperation and Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) activities.

Looking ahead, Malaysia and Australia plan to explore establishing a Defence Science, Technology and Industry Working Group alongside a forthcoming Australian defence industry trade mission to Malaysia. Both nations also committed to boosting cybersecurity cooperation, expressing grave concern over state-backed malicious cyber activities targeting Indo-Pacific financial institutions to fund unlawful weapons programs.

–NMT