Lauding the historic ties between
India and Malaysia, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi emphasised how the maritime neighbours share a “very special relationship”. The Prime Minister is currently on a two-day visit to the Asian nation to bolster cooperation in several sectors. On Sunday, PM Modi held a joint press conference with his Malaysian counterpart
Anwar Ibrahim. The press briefing took place after the two sides exchanged Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and held delegation-level talks.
“India-Malaysia relations are really special. We are maritime neighbours. For centuries, there have been deep ties between people of our two countries,” the prime minister said on Sunday. “Today, Malaysia is the second biggest nation in the world that has an Indian-origin population. Our civilisations are connected to shared cultural heritage and democratic values,” he furthered.
#WATCH | At joint press statement with Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, PM Narendra Modi says, “In the security sector, we will strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security. We will also make defence cooperation more comprehensive. Along with… pic.twitter.com/mxMqZEqRnT
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2026
It is pertinent to note that this is PM Modi’s first foreign visit for the year 2026, reflecting India’s ambition to strengthen ties with the East amid the uncertain global order. While addressing the media, PM Modi emphasised how the India-Malaysia ties have picked up pace in recent years. “In the past few years, our relations have picked up a new pace. My friend, PM Anwar Ibrahim, has made a special contribution towards this. Cooperation between us in energy, infrastructure and manufacturing has strengthened,” he explained.
“Mutual investment in the digital economy, biotech and IT has increased. Tourism and people-to-people ties have also deepened. Drawing inspiration from these achievements, we have decided to bring in unprecedented speed and depth in our partnership.”
#WATCH | At joint press statement with Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim, PM Narendra Modi says, “In the past few years, our relations have picked up a new pace. My friend, PM Anwar Ibrahim has had a special contribution towards this. Cooperation between us in energy, infrastructure and… pic.twitter.com/ohODJhhk1M
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2026
“In the security sector, we will strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security. We will also make defence cooperation more comprehensive. Along with AI and digital technologies, we will further advance our partnership in semiconductor, health and food security. The CEO forum organised today has thrown open new opportunities for trade and investment. We will pave a path to economic transformation through strategic trust,” the Indian prime minister said.
‘India is growing leaps and bounds’: Ibrahim
While delivering his address to the media, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pointed out how the Indian economy is growing “leaps and bounds” and explained how Kuala Lumpur sees New Delhi as a “vital actor” in the realms of the global economy. “India is growing by leaps and bounds, which is one spectacular rise in the international economic trade scene and therefore
Malaysia in the
ASEAN context certainly benefits immensely if we could secure more ways and opportunities to collaborate with India to extend beyond the $18.59 billion that we achieved in 2025,” the Malaysian prime minister said in the Sunday presser.
He maintained that both nations agreed on using local currencies as much as possible in trading. Ibrahim also emphasised the need to cooperate in the education sector. “Education remains pivotal. Many Malaysians were educated in India, and there is a growing number of Indian students in Malaysia too, but since the last decade or so under the premiership of my good friend Prime Minister Modi, you have seen the spectacular recognition of Indian centres of excellence in education,” he said.
“That’s not only comparable, but many of them have achieved outstanding recognition beyond the known institutions in the West. Therefore, we would certainly explore this to increase the number of students in the disciplines and fields to study in India.” Ibrahim pointed out that the strong ties between the two are also critical for strategic and security purposes.
“We consider this meeting and these exchanges very vital, very strategic and critical to advance and enhance relations between India and Malaysia. We had long-standing relations since 1957. But we have elevated it to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2024,” he said. “We’ll continue to deepen collaboration in all fields- trade and investment, semiconductor, digital economy, trade in local currency, connectivity, energy, agriculture, food, security, defence, education, healthcare, tourism, culture and people-to-people. It is really comprehensive, and we believe that we can advance this and execute speedily with the commitment of both our governments, both foreign ministers,” he furthered.
On the second day of PM Modi’s visit to Malaysia, the two sides exchanged 11 documents, including MOUs, that Ibrahim said extend beyond bilateral engagements. These MoUs focused on peacekeeping cooperation on semiconductor, healthcare and security cooperation between the two nations.
#WATCH | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says, “I must also take this opportunity to express my regards and thanks to PM Modi for his firm commitment to support all peace efforts throughout the world, be it in Ukraine, Russia or in the case of the… pic.twitter.com/fAlexSzDxs
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2026
Ibrahim noted how the two sides discussed international issues and also expressed his joy over the news of the formation of the Indian consulate in Kota Kinabalu. “I must also take this opportunity to express my regards and thanks to PM Modi for his firm commitment to support all peace efforts throughout the world, be it in Ukraine, Russia or in the case of the Middle East, particularly in Gaza. His commitment to support the peace process is unequivocal, and certainly, I must therefore express my appreciation. As a sign of our good relations, I have agreed to support the decision of the Government of India to open a consulate of India in Kota Kinabalu,” he said.
On the first day of his visit, the Prime Minister addressed the prominent Indian diaspora of Malaysia in a grand cultural event.
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