India and Malaysia upgrade strategic partnership, discuss BRICS membership
NEW DELHI : India and Malaysia decided to upgrade ties to a ‘Comprehensive Strategic Partnership’ on Tuesday, during talks between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, as part of a visit aimed at moving beyond several years of tensions over a number of issues.
The two leaders announced the decision to upgrade the 2010 Strategic Partnership, that had been made an ‘Enhanced Strategic Partnership’ in 2015, along with a number of agreements and MoUs signed in their presence., including on workers’ mobility, digital technology, culture, tourism, sports, and education. India will also work with Malaysia on its request to join the BRICS grouping that Mr. Ibrahim has been pushing for, officials said. The two Prime Ministers also discussed geopolitical challenges, including the current conflicts and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.
As PM Modi hosted his counterpart Anwar Ibrahim here, and Malaysia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Recruitment, Employment, and Repatriation of workers. The MoU is likely to streamline the movement of workers from India to Malaysia. Both governments had concerns over illegal migration and human trafficking.
“We have decided today that our partnership will be elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi said after the meeting with his Malaysian counterpart. “We observed that our bilateral trade is making steady progress. Trade between India and Malaysia can now be settled in Indian Rupee and Malaysian Ringgits.”
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia aims to diversify its economic diplomacy efforts by participating in the intergovernmental organisation Brics and enhance its collaboration with member countries through shared initiatives and strategic partnerships.
Malaysia has applied to join Brics, a grouping of large emerging economies that was established in 2009 as a cooperation platform for emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining the group in 2010.
In January 2024, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) joined the organisation as new members.
“India’s distinct and influential role within Brics is of particular importance, as we recognise that our strong bilateral ties will add significant value to the dynamics of the grouping,” he said in his lecture titled: “Towards a Rising Global South: Leveraging Malaysia-India Ties” at Sapru House, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) here.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said Putrajaya is confident that its entry into this group will not only strengthen our economic linkages with India but also open new avenues for cooperation across a broader spectrum of industries and policy areas.
Calling such grouping as minilateralism, he said contrary to some views that such arrangements are contentious, Malaysia believes that minilateral mechanisms ultimately work towards delivering public goods to benefit our people and raise living standards.
“In that vein, Malaysia will not shy away from exercising agency and participating in these arrangements as we see fit. Our recent application to join Brics is a fine example.”
Jaideep Mazumdar, the Secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, said that India would make a one-off exception to a ban on the export of non-basmati rice to send 200,000 metric tons of grain to Malaysia. He said that India was also keen to sell military hardware to Malaysia, as well as aircraft manufactured by state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
The Tejas LCAs, manufactured by HAL, last year lost to South Korea’s FA-50s in its bid to secure the contract for supplying aircraft to Malaysia.
Malaysia is an important partner of India in ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region. India gives priority to ASEAN centrality, Modi said after he met Ibrahim. “We agree that the review of the FTA between India and ASEAN should be completed in a timely manner. India will extend full support to Malaysia’s successful ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025. We are committed to freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international laws and, advocate peaceful resolution of all disputes,” Modi said, sending out a tacit message to China.
“Malaysia is keen to become a member of BRICS and from our side, we have no hesitation in considering that request. This will be discussed no doubt when the other BRICS countries meet,” Mazumdar told journalists later.