India–Malaysia Defence Relations: Issues and Challenges

This article aims to analyse the bilateral defence relations between India and Malaysia in the context of ongoing geo-political and strategic issues confronting the Indo-Pacific region. Writings on defence partnerships between India and Malaysia are very few and when seen in the context of India’s new ‘Act East Policy’, this article attains significance. The article analyses these relations in a descriptive and analytical manner by first looking into the historical relations and thereafter by highlighting, in brief, the developments during the Cold War era. This is followed by an analysis of the post-Cold War strategic scenario and finally by an understanding of the defence tie-ups and their challenges, if any, with concluding remarks.