PYQ Relevance[UPSC 2024] Discuss the geopolitical and geostrategic importance of Maldives for India with a focus on global trade and energy flows. Further also discuss how this relationship affects India’s maritime security and regional stability amidst international competition? Linkage: UPSC often asks such questions to assess India’s strategic engagement with key maritime neighbours in the context of sea lanes of communication, energy security, and great-power competition in the Indian Ocean Region. |
Mentor’s Comment
India–Malaysia relations witnessed strain over terrorism discourse and multilateral positioning. The recent high-level visit marks a strategic recalibration with implications for ASEAN engagement, trade negotiations, and counter-terror diplomacy.
Why in the News?
After a year of visible strain, ties between India and Malaysia are being recalibrated through Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 24-hour visit to Kuala Lumpur. The visit is significant because it marks his first overseas destination of the new year and comes after diplomatic discomfort over Malaysia’s remarks on the Pahalgam terror attacks and its outreach to Pakistan.
What led to the strain in India-Malaysia ties?
- Pahalgam Remarks: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for a “full and thorough enquiry” and “de-escalation and meaningful dialogue” between India and Pakistan, which drew unease in New Delhi.
- Mediation Offer: Ibrahim offered to mediate if required, signalling an interventionist posture.
- Pakistan Outreach: Hosting Pakistani PM Shabaz Sharif in October 2025 intensified diplomatic sensitivities.
- Contentious Issues: Continued stay of preacher Zakir Naik, wanted in India under UAPA, remained unresolved but deliberately not discussed publicly.
How did the visit signal diplomatic repair?
- First Overseas Visit: Modi chose Malaysia as his first foreign destination of the year, signalling priority.
- Joint Condemnation: Both countries unequivocally condemned terrorism, including “cross-border terrorism.”
- Counter-terror Cooperation: Strengthened intelligence sharing and coordination at the UN and FATF.
- MoUs Signed: Agreements signed to deepen ties, including in semiconductors.
What major agreements were signed?
- Audio-visual co-production agreement: Promotes joint film and media production to enhance cultural and creative industry collaboration
- Disaster management cooperation: Strengthens coordination in disaster response, preparedness and institutional capacity-building
- Combating and preventing corruption: Facilitates cooperation in anti-corruption measures, including information-sharing and best practices
- UN peacekeeping cooperation: Extends collaboration in United Nations peacekeeping operations through exchange of letters.
- Semiconductor cooperation: Establishes a framework to advance collaboration in the semiconductor sector as a strategic priority
- International Big Cats Alliance framework agreement: Marks Malaysia’s participation in India’s IBCA initiative to enhance wildlife conservation cooperation
- Social security cooperation (ESIC-PERKESO): Enables coordination of social security benefits for Indian citizens working in Malaysia
- Vocational education and training (TVET): Enhances collaboration in skills development and technical training through exchange of notes
- Security cooperation between National Security Councils: Formalises closer engagement on national security matters.
- Health and medicine cooperation: Deepens collaboration in healthcare, medical research and public health systems.
- 10th Malaysia-India CEO Forum report: Presents joint recommendations to strengthen bilateral trade and investment ties.
What economic and technological outcomes emerged?
- Semiconductor Cooperation: MoU builds on cooperation between IIT Madras Global and the Advanced Semiconductor Academy of Malaysia.
- Trade and AITIGA Review: Visit may revive negotiations on reviewing the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), previously impacted by India skipping the ASEAN summit.
- Sectoral Expansion: Emphasis on trade, defence, energy, and digital technologies.
What were the multilateral implications?
- ASEAN Engagement: Repair of ties follows India’s absence from the ASEAN summit despite accepting the invitation.
- Trade Frictions: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s criticism of FTAs as “badly negotiated” and remarks referring to ASEAN countries as “B-teams” to China had caused unease.
- BRICS Coordination: India will chair the BRICS summit; Malaysia’s aspiration for membership was “noted.”
- Indonesia’s Entry: Indonesia has already become a BRICS partner country.
Why is this reset strategically significant?
- Geographic Proximity: India-Malaysia cooperation influences broader ASEAN dynamics.
- Balancing China Factor: Trade sensitivities and FTA negotiations occur in a context of China’s influence.
- Regional Stability: Stronger coordination enhances counter-terror diplomacy and multilateral positioning.
Conclusion
The visit reflects calibrated diplomacy: contentious bilateral issues were set aside, counter-terror cooperation reaffirmed, economic engagement deepened, and multilateral coordination restored. The reset positions India and Malaysia for closer engagement within ASEAN and BRICS frameworks amid evolving global alignments.
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