India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI: Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to New Delhi has heralded a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two Asian countries.
The relations between the two nations had dipped to a low after former Malaysian PM Mohammed Mahathir criticised the government of India for reducing the status of Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir to union territory and scrapping Article 370 giving special status to J&K in 2019.
This was quite perceptible from the declarations made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart on different important issues during their joint press conference at the Hyderabad House.
This was the first visit of Ibrahim to India after he became Malaysia’s premier in 2022.
While the Indian media for the last few days have been reporting about the Government of India likely to take up the issue of bringing back Islamic preacher Dr. Zakir Naik from Malaysia, PM Modi bypassed this issue in his joint press conference, indicating that it is not an issue at all for India.
PM Modi said that the two countries were unanimous in the fight against “terrorism and extremism.”
Dr. Naik had left India in 2016 after a case of terror was registered against him. National Investigation Agency approached Interpol to arrest Dr. Naik but Interpol rejected the request due to insufficient evidence against the Islamic preacher.
PM Modi and his Malaysian counterpart signed a series of new agreements, including digital technologies, tourism and traditional medicine.
Speaking about the relations between the two countries, Modi said that the Enhanced Strategic Partnership between the two countries has completed a decade with Malaysia having invested $5 billion in India.
He announced that India and Malaysia have now decided to elevate their partnership to a “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”, a broad form of bilateral cooperation between two countries, involving collaboration on various issues and across multiple sectors, including political, economic, social, cultural, and security matters.
Stating that there was a lot of potential in economic cooperation, Modi suggested enhancing cooperation in areas of new technology such as semiconductors, Fintench, and the defence industry.
PM Modi said that a decision had been taken to establish a Digital Council and create a Start-up alliance for cooperation in digital technology. He said work will also be done on connecting India’s UPI and Malaysia’s Paynet.
Modi also expressed the possibility of making payment for bilateral trade in Indian Rupee and Malaysian Ringgits (MYR). Currently, the payments from both sides are done in US dollars.
Modi also announced 100 seats exclusively for Malaysian students under ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) Scholarships for cutting-edge courses like Cyber security and Artificial Intelligence.
He said that an Ayurveda chair is being set up at Abdur Rahman University, Malaysia and a Tiruvalluuvar chair in Malaya University. He thanked Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim for his cooperation in all these issues.
Anwar said the two countries have enjoyed good relations for years, adding that the leaders “realized this must be strengthened in a multitude of areas” including construction, agriculture and military collaborations to safeguard both nations’ borders.
Anwar expressed his appreciation to Prime Minister Modi and the Indian government for their warm hospitality, emphasizing that Malaysia regards India as a “great and true friend.”
He noted that his discussions with Modi—both in formal meetings and private conversations—were open and candid, addressing all issues, including sensitive ones, which he said is the hallmark of genuine friendship.
Anwar highlighted that an understanding had been reached on several matters, with significant potential for further cooperation in various areas. He acknowledged the lack of progress in recent years but assured that Malaysia is committed to revitalizing these working relationships across all sectors.
He also praised India’s rich history, culture, and civilization, drawing parallels with Malaysia’s own multicultural and multireligious society.
Anwar pointed out that the commonalities between the two nations extend beyond trade and investment, encompassing a shared cultural vibrancy.
He mentioned upcoming initiatives and programmes aimed at fostering greater collaboration between Indian and Malaysian companies, particularly in critical areas such as energy transition, digitalization, and food security.
The announcement made during the joint press conference at Delhi’s Hyderabad House is particularly significant given that Anwar has recently sought to strengthen ties with China, a country involved in a contentious border dispute with India. A central focus of Modi’s foreign policy has been to enhance trade and relationships with other Asian nations as a strategy to counter China’s increasing influence in the region.
Malaysia ranks as India’s 16th largest trading partner, while India is among Malaysia’s top 10 trading partners. The bilateral trade between the two nations is robust, amounting to $20 billion. Approximately 70 Malaysian companies operate in India, and over 150 Indian companies have a presence in Malaysia, where Indians make up about 7% of the population.
