KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Cambodia are committed to further strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in defence and security, while contributing to ASEAN’s collective resilience.
Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, said the commitment was expressed during his courtesy call on Cambodian Prime Minister, Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh today.
He said among the key matters discussed was the effort to finalise the Malaysia-Cambodia Defence Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which will serve as an important framework to expand and strengthen defence collaboration between the two countries.
“Malaysia and Cambodia also shared views on the importance of ASEAN centrality, dialogue and regional mechanisms in addressing security challenges, including ongoing efforts towards peace and stability along the Cambodia-Thailand border,” he said in a Facebook post today.
He added that Malaysia also expressed continued support for the ASEAN Observer Team (AOT) mechanism, as well as peaceful resolutions through dialogue and negotiations.
Khaled said both sides also discussed the importance of finalising the Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea as a crucial step to ensure continued peace, stability and a rules-based order.
He said Malaysia and Cambodia are also committed to strengthening defence cooperation in new areas, including jungle warfare training, the defence industry, artificial intelligence (AI) and drone technology.
Khaled also held a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, General Tea Seiha, to exchange views on the increasingly complex regional security landscape.
In a separate post on the meeting, he expressed hope that the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand would be maintained.
“Although Malaysia is no longer the ASEAN Chair this year, the country’s commitment to supporting peace and stability in the region remains unchanged.
“I also welcome the progress of the Malaysia-Cambodia Defence Cooperation MoU, which is now in its final stage, and hope it can be signed during the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in the Philippines soon,” he said.
Khaled added that he is confident that the strengthened cooperation will further enhance Malaysia-Cambodia relations ahead of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 2027.
Prior to his visit to Cambodia, Khaled led the Malaysian delegation on an official working visit to Vietnam on August 5 and 6, where he paid a courtesy call on its Prime Minister, Le Minh Hung, and held bilateral talks with Vietnam’s Defence Minister, General Phan Van Giang.
Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry (MINDEF) said the two-day official visit to Cambodia, which began on Thursday (Aug. 6), reflects Malaysia’s commitment to strengthening defence ties with ASEAN member states in line with the Defence White Paper.
According to MINDEF, Khaled’s working visits to Vietnam and Cambodia are part of the implementation of the Third Pillar of the National Defence Strategy, namely Credible Partnerships, while also reinforcing Malaysia’s defence diplomacy at the regional level.
Also accompanying the Malaysian delegation were Chief of the Royal Malaysian Navy, Admiral Tan Sri Zulhelmy Ithnain; and Deputy Secretary-General (Policy) of the Defence Ministry, Datuk Mohd Yani Daud. – BERNAMA
