KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia aims to strengthen its maritime defence capabilities through closer cooperation with Japan, including technology transfer, military exercises and government-to-government procurement of assets, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Defence Minister said Malaysia had also requested that Japan's security assistance focus more on maritime capabilities, including domain awareness, amid evolving geopolitical challenges in the region.
He said this was increasingly important given the strategic significance of the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca to regional security and global trade.
"In safeguarding our defence, security and sovereignty, we need partners whom we can trust and who can help us, including in developing our capabilities," he said following his working visit to Japan from Oct 18 to 21.
Khaled said Malaysia had signed an agreement with Japan under its Official Security Assistance (OSA) programme for 2026, involving a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) worth 1.65 billion yen (RM40mil).
Malaysia has benefited from the programme since it was introduced in 2023, he said, adding that the country received defence assets worth about RM80mil last year.
He said Malaysia appreciated Japan's assistance, which was aimed at enabling partner countries to contribute to peace and stability in their respective regions.
Khaled said he had conveyed Malaysia's request for more focused assistance to Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, particularly in strengthening the country's maritime capabilities.
He also called on Japan to continue the OSA programme, saying it had helped countries such as Malaysia fulfil their roles in maintaining regional peace and stability.
During his meeting with Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, both sides discussed elevating defence cooperation to the ministerial level, including holding annual meetings on a rotational basis.
Khaled said this would allow decisions arising from discussions at the officials' level to be made more efficiently and implemented smoothly.
He noted that although Malaysia and Japan had long-standing relations in various fields, defence and military cooperation remained relatively new, following Japan's policy changes that now allow it to export certain defence equipment and participate in military exercises.
"We have agreed to increase the number of military exercises between the two countries," he added.
Both countries also agreed to work towards a memorandum of understanding on maritime cooperation to establish a structured framework for collaboration, particularly in enhancing Malaysia's ability to safeguard its maritime areas, he said.
Khaled said Malaysia was also interested in procuring defence assets through government-to-government arrangements, citing Japan's technological advancement and experience in developing military equipment for its own use.
He said such arrangements would help ensure that procurement brought wider benefits to Malaysia, including technology transfers and the development of the local defence industry.
Japan had expressed its willingness to cooperate in technology transfers and the development of Malaysia's domestic defence industry, he added.
Khaled said building the country's sovereign capability was a key objective, allowing Malaysia to develop and produce its own defence equipment, either as complete systems or individual components.
He expressed hope that the agreements and understandings reached during the visit would be implemented, strengthening mutual trust and enabling both countries to work together in addressing emerging regional challenges.
