(Photo source: Narendra Modi YouTube grab)
Kuala Lumpur, February 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India's stance on terrorism is firm -- "no double standards and no compromise" -- and also stressed that New Delhi will continue to expand cooperation with Malaysia in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security.
Addressing a joint press meet with his Malaysian counterpart, Anwar Ibrahim, in Kuala Lumpur, PM Modi said, “First of all, I thank my friend, Anwar Ibrahim, for this warm welcome. Last year, I was not able come to Malaysia for the ASEAN Summit, but I had promised my dear friend that I would soon visit Malaysia. For my first foreign visit of 2026, I have come to Malaysia.”
Highlighting the "special" India-Malaysia relations, he said, “We are maritime neighbours. For centuries, there have been deep ties between people of our two nations. Today, Malaysia is the second biggest nation in the world that has an Indian-origin population. Our civilisations are connected to shared cultural heritage and democratic values.”
He credited the Malaysian PM for his "significant contributions" in providing a "new pace" to the India-Malaysia ties in the past few years.
"Our cooperation in energy, infrastructure and manufacturing has strengthened. Mutual investment has also increased in the digital economy, biotech and IT. Tourism and people-to-people ties have also deepened. By drawing inspiration from these achievements, we have decided to bring in unprecedented speed and depth in our partnership," PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister further mentioned that the security cooperation between the two nations will be further enhanced by strengthening the cooperation in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing and maritime security.
"We will also make defence cooperation more comprehensive," he said.
Along with AI and digital technologies, he said that India and Malaysia will further advance the partnership in semiconductor, health and food security.
"The CEO forum organised today has thrown open new opportunities for trade and investment. We will pave a path to economic transformation through strategic trust," he said.
On terrorism, PM Modi said, “We will continue to support all peacekeeping efforts. However, our stance on terrorism is very firm -- no double-standards and no compromise. I appreciate your (Malaysian PM Ibrahim) commitment to enhancing India-Malaysia ties. I hope that together we will continue to work towards achieving the resolutions of Prosperous Malaysia and Viksit Bharat.”
PM Modi called the Indian diaspora living in Malaysia a "living bridge" between the two nations.
"Yesterday, I received the opportunity to meet the Indian diaspora living in Malaysia. With his presence, my friend PM Anwar Ibrahim enhanced the prestige of this event. This living bridge of 30 lakh people is a major power. Measures taken for their welfare provide a humanitarian focus to our relations," he said.
He also mentioned that steps like the Social Security Agreement for the protection of Indian workers in Malaysia, and a gratis e-visa, as well as a UPI digital interface for tourism in Malaysia, will "simplify the lives of citizens of both nations".
"Any partnership succeeds when the benefit reaches people directly," the Prime Minister said.
PM Modi highlighted the interest in the Tamil language in Malaysia and said, “Shared love for the Tamil language also connects India and Malaysia. In Malaysia, the strong and living presence of Tamil can be seen in education, media and cultural life. I am confident that with today's Audio Visual Agreement, film and music, especially Tamil films, will bring our hearts closer.”
Emphasising that the Indo-Pacific region is emerging as a "hub of global growth", the Prime Minister said, “We are committed, along with ASEAN, to development, peace, and stability across the Indo-Pacific. India gives priority to ASEAN centrality.”
"I once again congratulate Malaysia on its successful ASEAN leadership. With the support of friendly countries like Malaysia, India will further strengthen its ties with ASEAN. We agreed that the review of the ASEAN-India trade agreements should be completed soon," he added.
Earlier in the day, both leaders held delegation-level talks, discussing ways to enhance bilateral ties across several sectors, including defence and security.
PM Modi accorded a ceremonial welcome at Perdana Putra in Putrajaya.
PM Modi's visit is being seen as a significant step toward further deepening the enduring friendship between India and Malaysia, rooted in mutual trust, shared values and common aspirations for the future.
