Malaysia and India reaffirm partnership in healthcare, traditional medicine and tourism, with plans for Indian experts and enhanced air connectivity
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and India have reaffirmed their bilateral partnership, focusing on collaborative healthcare initiatives and traditional medicine.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to advancing affordable and accessible healthcare.
The collaboration includes plans to deploy Traditional Indian Medicine experts to Malaysia under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme.
This move aims to resume TIM services at selected Malaysian hospitals, complementing conventional allopathic treatments.
The leaders also welcomed strengthened cooperation in drug regulation and mutual recognition of pharmacopoeia standards.
They noted the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between India’s Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy and University of Cyberjaya.
This MoU, signed in October 2025, promotes research, training and academic exchanges in homoeopathy.
Both nations agreed to further streamline the mobility of workers and professionals between the two countries.
Tourism was reaffirmed as a key pillar of cooperation, with Malaysia welcoming the ‘Incredible India’ campaign and India supporting Visit Malaysia 2026.
The leaders acknowledged ongoing visa liberalisation measures that have bolstered travel and people-to-people exchanges.
They also committed to strengthening air connectivity to support growing passenger demand.
Malaysia proposed enhancing existing air traffic rights, a request which the Indian side noted.
The operationalisation of the Thiruvalluvar Chair of Indian Studies at Universiti Malaya was also appreciated.
Prime Minister Anwar welcomed the announcement of Thiruvalluvar Scholarships for Malaysian nationals.
