India - Malaysia Relationship: Got Boosted - Aspirant Learning

The India – Malaysia relationship got strong as the Indian Defence Minister visited Malaysia.

The meeting focused on Indian defence industries to assist the Malaysian defence sector.
India asked top officials from Malaysia to visit the country so they could see the infrastructure and goods produced by the country’s defence sector firsthand.
Malaysia put forward a view to engage women in peacekeeping and both countries agreed to engage on the issue.
The capabilities for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) activities will be improved, as agreed upon by the two nations.
Both parties talked about methods to improve the current Malaysia-India Defence Cooperation Meeting (MIDCOM) framework’s existing defence cooperation activities and framework between the two nations.

India – Malaysia shared a vibrant relationship for 65 years and Malaysia plays a key role in India’s Act East Policy.

Political Relations

India formally established diplomatic relations with the Federation of Malaya (predecessor state of Malaysia) in 1957.
India and Malaysia share common platforms like the UN, and India – ASEAN summits, East Asian Summit, ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Commonwealth, and Non-Aligned Movement.
Bilateral visits and summits include
- India-Malaysia Joint Commission
- India-Malaysia Parliamentary Friendship Group
Bilateral Agreements Signed
- Framework for Strategic Partnership – It aims at the development of a multi-faceted relationship with a view to elevate bilateral relations to the level of a long-term and strategic partnership.
- Agreement on Cultural Exchange Programme for 2015-2020.
- MoUs on “Cooperation in the area of Performance Management, Project Delivery and Monitoring related to Government Programmes and Delivery” and “Cooperation on Cyber Security”.

Both countries also issued a Joint Statement of Enhanced Strategic Partnership between India and Malaysia.
As part of a bilateral visit, the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industries visited Malaysia and participated in the RCEP(Regional Economic Comprehensive Partnership) Inter-sessional Ministerial Meeting

As part of the initial step of defence cooperation, both countries signed MoU in 1993 since then both countries have had a good relationship.
India – Malaysia Defence meeting takes place regularly.
Joint Exercise – Harimau Shakti
The Indian Air Force Training Team was deployed in Malaysia to train Malaysian pilots on the SU-30 SKM aircraft from 2008 to 2010.
Indian naval ships also make regular port calls in Malaysia.
Joint operations in the field of counter-terrorism.
Indian assistance to the Malaysian navy due to the increasing presence of China in the South China Seas.

Economic Relation

To boost bilateral trade India avoided double taxation.
Both countries signed agreements like
- Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA)
- Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in services and investments with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
- Established India-Malaysia CEOs Forum

Malaysia is our third-largest trading partner in ASEAN and India is the largest trading partner for Malaysia among the countries of the South
Bilateral trade between India and Malaysia is significantly biased in favour of Malaysia.

Connectivity and Tourism

Connectivity
- Air links have improved significantly following a bilateral agreement in 2007.
- The two sides have finalised a revised Air Services Agreement in October 2011 and internal approvals are being sought.
Tourism
- India is the sixth-largest source country for inbound tourism to Malaysia with around 7 lakhs Indian tourists visiting Malaysia in 2015.
- Malaysia is the tenth largest source country for foreign tourists visiting India
- It is estimated that 1.6 lakhs of Malaysian tourists visited India in 2015

Cultural Relation

Traditional Medicines
- As an initial step, India and Malaysia signed an MoU in this field in 2010.
- Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) Division, Ministry of Health of Malaysia has been working to popularise AYUSH systems in Malaysia.
- Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathy systems are practiced in Malaysia.
- Since 2010 the AYUSH Information Cell in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indian Cultural Centre (NSCBICC) has been working to promote the AYUSH sector in Malaysia.
Education Cooperation
- Every year, nearly 2000 Indian students come to study in Malaysia, while nearly 1500 Malaysian students enroll themselves in Indian colleges.
- Out of these, more than 95% of Malaysian students join for Medical and Dental courses in India
Diaspora
- Malaysia has one of the largest communities of Persons of Indian Origin in the world, numbering close to 2 million (about 7 to 8% of Malaysia’s population).
- There are over 130,000 Indian ex-pats legally employed in Malaysia in skilled and semi-skilled categories.
- A bilateral MoU on Employment and Welfare of Workers signed in January 2009 establishes an institutional framework to deal with issues concerning Indian workers.

Strategic Significance
- Malaysia is located close to strategic sea routes like Malacca Strait which can act as a check on Chinese movement.
Political Significance
- By engaging ASEAN members like Malaysia India’s influence on the grouping also gets stronger.
Economic Significance
- Malaysia has the potential to act as an engine for driving FDI toward India.

Trade imbalance.
Interference of Malaysia in Indian internal matters like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Malaysia showing a tilt toward China.

India – Malaysia relations can be cordially developed through the use of common soft powers like diaspora and religion and mutual talks.

It is a southeast Asian country.
Capital
- Administrative – Putrajaya
- Ceremonial, legislative, and judicial – Kuala Lumpur

Peninsular Malaysia shares a land and maritime border with Thailand and maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
East Malaysia shares land and maritime borders with Brunei and Indonesia and a maritime border with the Philippines and Vietnam.

Pic Courtesy: Hindustan Times, The Week, Economic Times

Content Source: The Hindu

India – Malaysia Relationship: Got Boosted