GEELONG — Malaysia and Australia have agreed to elevate their long-standing defence partnership, with both countries set to establish a Strategic Planning Committee to drive priority areas of practical defence cooperation amid an increasingly complex Indo-Pacific security environment.
The agreement was reached during the 6th Australia-Malaysia High Level Committee (HLC) meeting in Geelong, co-chaired by Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Malaysian Defence Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The two ministers reaffirmed the strength of bilateral defence ties, founded on decades of cooperation, mutual respect and a shared commitment to regional peace, security and prosperity. They also reiterated support for national sovereignty, international law and an ASEAN-centred regional order.
Under the new Strategic Planning Committee, both sides will identify priority areas for defence cooperation and oversee their implementation, marking a further step in strengthening the Malaysia-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Defence cooperation is also set to expand through the Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Program (MAJDP), including Exercise Keris Strike 2026 in Sabah, greater maritime and special forces cooperation, as well as expanded opportunities for military education and personnel exchanges.
The ministers also agreed to pursue more high-end and operationally relevant engagements aimed at strengthening interoperability between the Malaysian Armed Forces and the Australian Defence Force.
Another key area is Operation Gateway, which both countries said continues to contribute to regional security through enhanced maritime domain awareness. Malaysia and Australia agreed to explore ways to further strengthen the operation through greater interoperability and integration.
Progress on infrastructure upgrades and runway remediation at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Butterworth Air Base was also welcomed, with the works expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
The ministers described RMAF Butterworth as an important platform for bilateral defence cooperation, regional engagement and activities under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), while welcoming continued cooperation on defence infrastructure development in Malaysia.
Both countries also welcomed progress towards finalising a Malaysia-Australia Security of Information Arrangement (SIA), which is intended to strengthen cooperation on information security and support deeper defence collaboration.
In a further move to enhance practical cooperation, the ministers announced the signing of a renewed Malaysia-Australia Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement (MLSA). The arrangement is expected to improve logistical support and interoperability while facilitating future exercises, operations and other defence engagements.
Defence industry cooperation will also be explored through a proposed Defence Science, Technology and Industry Working Group, while Australia is expected to send a defence industry trade mission to Malaysia in the near future.
The ministers also committed to closer cooperation in cybersecurity and cyber resilience, reflecting the growing importance of cyberspace to defence operations and regional security.
They expressed concern over malicious cyber activities targeting financial institutions across the Indo-Pacific, including activities they said were carried out by state-backed actors to fund unlawful weapons programmes.
On wider regional security, Malaysia and Australia reaffirmed their support for ASEAN centrality and an ASEAN-led regional architecture, including through the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus and cooperation under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
The ministers also reiterated their commitment to the FPDA, which marks its 55th anniversary in 2026, and welcomed Malaysia’s hosting of the FPDA Defence Ministers’ Meeting and Exercise Suman Protector in 2027.
The South China Sea and wider regional tensions also featured prominently in the discussions, with both sides stressing the importance of freedom of navigation and overflight, safe maritime passage and the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
They also acknowledged the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and stressed the need for open communication, transparency and reassurance to reduce the risk of miscalculation, while calling for safe and professional conduct by regional partners.
The ministers further agreed to enhance regular high-level engagement, expand military-to-military activities and strengthen coordination on regional and global security issues, with the next Australia-Malaysia High Level Committee meeting scheduled to be held in Malaysia in 2027.
