Opinion India-Malaysia ties need to be less about rhetoric, more about the reset
The bilateral relationship must be built on the growing profile of India as a rising regional power and of Malaysia as a re-emergent force in Southeast Asia. Moving forward, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership must account for joint, mindful efforts towards regional good.
PM Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during the delegation-level talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. (ANI) Malaysia-India ties have reached a new high with PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the Southeast Asian country this week, not long after the elevation of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024 during PM Anwar Ibrahim’s maiden visit to India. After missing the 47th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit in Kuala Lumpur last year, PM Modi’s trip has not only made up for the absence but ensured that the value both leaders accorded to ties was on full display, encapsulated in his usage of the acronym IMPACT: India-Malaysia Partnership for Advancing Collective Transformation.
There was an overwhelming focus on the cultural, linguistic, historical and people-to-people linkages that now form the bedrock of ties. Exploring complementarities in the semiconductor sector and enhanced cooperation in the digital economy and fintech sector reflected the desire to address shared challenges. The announcement of a new Indian consulate in Sabah, too, was a significant development.
But the potential of the bilateral relationship is much higher. During PM Anwar’s 2024 visit to New Delhi, he highlighted that “stronger Malaysia-India ties are consequential to a better connected Global South”, hinting that greater functional ties and more creative means of cooperation would be central to Global South mobilisation, like the Indian Ocean Rim Association and bilaterally driven inter-regionalism between ASEAN and BIMSTEC.
The limited attention given to these opportunities in the joint statement raises questions about whether both countries see value in anchoring their relationship to a broader purpose that would enable them to shape key regional institutions and frameworks. The focus on cultural affinity and commonalities must be an enabler, and not the main driver, of the strategic partnership.
For example, beyond the MoU announced on cooperation in disaster management between the national disaster management authorities of both countries and a detailed breakdown of food security and agri-commodity cooperation, New Delhi should utilise the relationship to strengthen its first-responder efforts. A good opportunity for cooperation could be the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. India has allocated Rs 300 crore in financial aid for Myanmar in the 2026-2027 budget. How this would be disbursed after the recent elections remains unclear. Bilateral consultations on these developments would be valuable in anticipating regional security trends.
A new era in Malaysia-India ties must be less about rhetoric and more about the reset — especially after the conscious work that was put into its elevation — an unthinkable feat even five years ago. The bilateral relationship must be built on the growing profile of India as a rising regional power and of Malaysia as a re-emergent force in Southeast Asia. Moving forward, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership must account for joint, mindful efforts towards regional good. The cultural and civilisational connection should only strengthen their shared resolve.
The writer is analyst, Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Malaysia
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