PHNOM PENH - Malaysia has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening defence diplomacy and regional security cooperation following Defence Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin’s official working visit to Cambodia, where both countries agreed to expand bilateral military collaboration and enhance ASEAN defence engagement.
A key outcome of the visit was Mohamed Khaled’s meeting with Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, General Tea Seiha, during which both sides reviewed progress on the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation.
The proposed agreement is expected to strengthen the framework for bilateral military cooperation, including greater participation by Cambodian armed forces in the Malaysian Defence Cooperation Programme (MDCP) to promote professional military exchanges and capacity building.
Mohamed Khaled also paid a courtesy call on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, with both leaders reaffirming their commitment to accelerating cooperation in military training, defence capability development and the defence industry.
Both sides reiterated their support for the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM-Plus as key platforms for safeguarding regional peace, stability and security while upholding ASEAN Centrality.
Discussions also covered the role of the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) in strengthening regional preparedness and improving collective responses to evolving security challenges.
The Cambodia visit, following Mohamed Khaled’s official trip to Vietnam, reflects Malaysia’s commitment to advancing the “Credible Partnerships” pillar under the National Defence Strategic Plan (PSPN) 2026–2030 and the Defence White Paper through stronger regional defence diplomacy.
The Defence Ministry said the engagements reinforce Malaysia’s role as a trusted security partner committed to promoting peace, stability and strategic cooperation across ASEAN.
Mohamed Khaled was accompanied by Royal Malaysian Navy Chief Admiral Tan Sri Dr Zulhelmy Ithnain and the ministry’s Deputy Secretary-General (Policy), Datuk Mohd Yani Daud.
