Transcript of Special briefing by Secretary (East) on Prime Minister’s visit to Malaysia (February 08, 2026)

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson:Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I welcome you to this press briefing on Prime Minister's ongoing official visit to Malaysia.

We have with us our Secretary, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, Shri P. Kumaran, who will be giving us an update on Prime Minister's visit. We are also joined by Shri Prashant Agrawal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, who looks after our ties with Malaysia.

With that, I hand over the floor to Secretary (East) for his initial remarks. Sir, over to you.

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): Thank you, Randhir. Good afternoon to all friends from the media. I extend a warm welcome to all of you for joining us today. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, is here in Kuala Lumpur, as you all know, on an official visit, which commenced yesterday and is concluding in the next few minutes.

This visit is significant as it comes nearly a decade after Prime Minister's previous official visit to Malaysia in 2015. During that visit, India-Malaysia bilateral relations were elevated to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership. In 2024, we had the pleasure of welcoming Prime Minister, His Excellency Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in India. The visit gave renewed momentum to our bilateral cooperation, and our bilateral partnership was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Prime Minister arrived yesterday and, in a special gesture, was very warmly received by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the airport, where he was also accorded a Guard of Honor. Prime Minister was greeted with vibrant cultural performances at the airport and also at the place of stay. The two Prime Ministers traveled together to the MINES International Exhibition and Convention Centre where they addressed a large gathering of the Indian community, comprising students, professionals, business persons, and members of various Indian cultural associations, among others.

The program included an exhibition on the history of the Indian community in Malaysia and spectacular performances by about 800 local artists showcasing the richness of our shared heritage. I also understand that the number of artists that performed at a single place showcasing Indian dances also entered the Malaysian Book of Records. I may also add that the Prime Minister also interacted today with members of the Malaysian parliament, ministers, and other dignitaries from the Indian community. His meeting with two surviving veterans of the Indian National Army (INA), headed by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, was truly special.

Earlier today, Prime Minister was received by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at Perdana Putra complex and was accorded an official welcome ceremony. The leaders thereafter convened for bilateral discussions, both in restricted and delegation-level formats, at Seri Perdana, the official residence of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The two Prime Ministers reviewed bilateral cooperation across the full spectrum of our partnership, including trade, investments, defense, security, semiconductors, digital technologies, financial technologies (Fintech), renewable energy, education, healthcare, culture, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. They also had the opportunity to discuss key regional and global issues.

This was followed by the exchange of bilateral agreements and MOUs. These include exchange of notes on cooperation in the area of semiconductors, health and medicine, security, and technical and vocational education. In addition, the MoU between Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission and India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on combating and preventing corruption was signed. We also had an MoU on cooperation in the field of disaster management. A memorandum of cooperation between Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) in India and PERKESO in Malaysia on social security, and we also had an agreement on audio-visual cooperation, all of which were exchanged.

The leaders also witnessed the exchange of letters on the renewal of the bilateral MOU on UN peacekeeping cooperation. Malaysia also handed over the instrument of its accession to the International Big Cat Alliance. Other MoUs and agreements signed during this visit include the agreement between NIPL and PAYNET on cross-border QR-based merchant payments, and the MoU between University of Cyberjaya and the Institute of Training and Research in Ayurveda, Ministry of AYUSH, India on academic collaboration. The Prime Ministers also addressed the media.

PM announced setting up of a dedicated Thiruvalluvar chair at University Malaya. It may also be noted that the Prime Minister had earlier in 2024 announced establishment of a Thiruvalluvar chair of Indian Studies in University Malaya, which was operationalized in October 2025. Prime Minister also announced Thiruvalluvar scholarships for Malaysian scholars. With the objective of further strengthening our engagement and delivery of services to the Indian community, the Prime Minister has also announced the establishment of a Consulate General in Malaysia.

The 10th meeting of the India-Malaysia CEO's Forum was convened on 7th February 2026. The outcome document of the forum's deliberations was presented by the co-chairs before the Prime Ministers. During the visit, Prime Minister also engaged with CEOs of prominent companies: Petronas, Berjaya, Khazanah, and Dato' K.S. Pua of Phison Electronics regarding their plans for India in key sectors.

The visit also coincides with India's presidency of BRICS, of which Malaysia is now a partner country. Prime Minister congratulated Malaysia on its successful conclusion of its ASEAN chairship and reiterated India's commitment to working closely with Malaysia for further strengthening the ASEAN-India comprehensive strategic partnership.

Malaysia remains a key partner in India's Act East Policy, Vision MAHASAGAR, and Indo-Pacific vision. Prime Minister also thanked Malaysia for its support in the ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA).

Our economic partnership is strong and growing. Malaysia is India's third-largest trading partner in ASEAN, with bilateral trade close to about 20 billion US dollars. Our trade has diversified and it includes a variety of agricultural products, chemicals, minerals, appliances, and machinery. In emerging areas such as semiconductors and digital technology, our bilateral engagements have intensified. The inaugural Malaysia-India Digital Council was first held a few months ago.

On semiconductors, there is collaboration underway between IIT Madras Global and the Advanced Semiconductor Academy of Malaysia as well as the Indian Electronics and Semiconductor Association and Malaysia Semiconductor Industry Association. Our countries have also exchanged notes on taking this cooperation further so as to strengthen the semiconductor value chain focusing on technology innovation, workforce development, and supply chain stability to build a resilient and competitive ecosystem. Both sides have also exchanged views on cooperation in digital technology, cyber security, AI, and Digital Public Infrastructure among others.

The Prime Ministers also exchanged views on ongoing bilateral defense, security, and maritime cooperation. Our engagement in this area has intensified in recent years. The first India-Malaysia security dialogue was convened last year in January 2025. The 13th Malaysia-India Defense Committee meeting was convened in February 2025 where we finalized the terms of reference for establishment of a Sukhoi 30 forum and a strategic affairs working group.

Both the countries also have regular bilateral exercises, Harimau Shakti for the Army, Samudra Laksamana for the Navy, and Udara Shakti for the Air Force. The fifth edition of Harimau Shakti was held in December 2025 in Rajasthan. Regular port visits, staff talks, conduct of training courses, etc., are also facets of our bilateral defense cooperation.

Collaboration between our defense industries is also growing. A regional office of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been functional. Indian defense companies: MDL, BEML, HAL among others have been showcasing India's defense industrial prowess at prestigious events such as Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition. Malaysia has also been regularly participating in our key defense exhibitions such as Aero India. In their discussions today, the two Prime Ministers spoke about taking our strategic cooperation further in the area of defense and security.

The presence of a 2.9 million strong Indian community in Malaysia is another important facet of our bilateral relationship. Not only does the community act like a living bridge between the two countries, but it also plays a valuable role in their economic development. Various initiatives have been undertaken in the recent past for the benefit of our diaspora members. This includes the extension of OCI cards to the sixth generation of PIOs in Malaysia.

Similarly, for the benefit of Indian students studying in Malaysia, the government has recently replenished the Scholarships Trust Fund with 3 million Ringgit added to the corpus. The growing number of Indian workers and professionals has necessitated closer cooperation between the two countries in the area of labor welfare. With this in mind, an MoC (Memorandum of Collaboration) between ESIC and PERKESO on social security programs and activities for Indian citizens as insured persons in Malaysia has been finalized today.

Both the countries have also instituted measures to promote P2P exchanges in addition to cultural and commercial contacts. We are extending visa-free or gratis e-visas to each other's nationals for tourism. As a result, in 2025, 1.4 million Indian tourists traveled to Malaysia whereas 300,000 Malaysian tourists visited India. Malaysia thus became the largest source of inbound tourism to India from the ASEAN region. The agreement between NIPL and PAYNET today would take our people-to-people cooperation a step further by making cross-border QR-based payments possible.

The outcomes of this visit, we can say, are of immense significance not only because of the range and diversity of subjects covered but also the positive impact they would bring to our people and therefore reflect the true spirit of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Thank you very much.

Himanshu Bhatt, Sun newspaper:Thank you. I'm Himanshu Bhatt. I'm the editor of The Sun newspaper in Malaysia. I wanted to ask in terms of digital Fintech, the announcement that UPI will be introduced in Malaysia. Of course, there were no details, but could you kindly provide our Malaysian readers the thrust of this and the modality and benefits it would entail to them? Yeah.

Rishikesh, PTI: Sir, Rishikesh from PTI. So, the joint statement emphasized strengthening of cooperation in counter-terrorism and intelligence sharing. So, what was the discussion on combating terrorism with the Malaysian PM? And are there any information-sharing frameworks being established? And my second question is, are there any discussion on preserving and protection of Hindu temples in Malaysia?

Lomas, IANS: Hello sir, I am Lomas from IANS. My question is from when we expect the new visa regime for Indian travelling to Malaysia to be implemented?

Add-on question: what is the status of integration of UPI and PAYNET?

Aradhana, Times of India: Thank you. I am Aradhana from Times of India. I have two questions. One is on the settlement of trade. Talks, I think, are happening between Bank Negara and RBI. Is there any timeline for that? And how soon do we expect that to happen?

And second would be that Malaysian side has requested some air traffic rights on the civil aviation, there has been talk about that. Could you enlighten us more on this, please? Thank you.

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East): Thank you very much. Let me start with the UPI linkage. UPI linkage is something that we've been discussing for a while. It involves a number of technical steps. It needs multiple banks to be brought on board on both sides. It also needs some kind of, you know, software alignment on the two sides. And, it needs a number of point-of-sale machines to be brought on board and some kind of collaboration with merchants on both sides so that tourists and other visitors can take advantage of this linkage.

I used to be posted in Singapore, and I saw this whole process happen when we linked UPI with Singapore's PayNow. It took about a year for us to get that done. But, now I know for sure that it is working extremely well. The main purposes are to help tourists who come and shop in the partner country, and for workers to send their remittances.

There are of course safeguards built into it to make sure that it is meant to address people who actually need this, and therefore initially there are some restrictions on the amounts that can be transferred. So, all of those safeguards are built in. So once the technical steps get completed, it will be operationalized.

I also understand that there is a broader project, you know, this is a point-to-point, each country has to connect with the other. There is a broader project for multi-point connectivity called Project Nexus, which is also something that India, Singapore, Malaysia, and a few other countries in the region are working on. That will give you direct connectivity from one country to all the other countries which are part of Project Nexus, but that's some distance away. So that will make it even better than the existing point-to-point payment linkages. Ultimately, using QR codes like we pay in India or in other countries, you will be able to use cross-border payments also.

Counter-terrorism, I'm sure you heard our Prime Minister speak about it this morning at the joint press conference. He spoke about the discussions he had with Prime Minister Ibrahim, and he also underlined that on the issue of counter-terrorism, he emphasized that there will be no compromise and there won't be any double standards.

What I'd broadly like to emphasize is that we need to see the picture in totality. The Malaysian side has condemned the attacks in Pahalgam, they also condemned the Red Fort attack. We've had an all-party parliament delegation visit Malaysia, and they engaged a broad spectrum of MPs, political parties, think tanks, Indian community, etc., and had an opportunity to explain our position.

On counter-terrorism, we've had a joint working group formed on counter-terrorism and they met in December 2025. We also had an NSA-level security dialogue in January 2025 and the Deputy NSAs have also met in August. The Malaysian Deputy NSA was a guest at the NSA's meeting at Colombo Security Conclave. And, we of course have a full para on counter-terrorism in the joint statement which will be issued at the end of the visit. So, there is a lot happening in the area of counter-terrorism, and there is reason to be satisfied that our cooperation is proceeding very well.

You asked about the protection of Hindu temples. We had an opportunity in the past to take this up and we understand that the Government of Malaysia has a mechanism in place to resolve such issues, and they have a mechanism in place to address all the issues associated with that.

The new visa regime was something that you asked. The visa regimes are already in place. Malaysia has a 30-day visa-free entry for Indian tourists. The e-visa scheme for Malaysian Nationals is already operational in India. As of now, it gets extended on a one-year-by-one-year basis, but to answer your question, yes, it is operational.

Local currency settlements between RBI and the Malaysian Central Bank. This is still being discussed. The two regulatory authorities will continue to discuss this. It is a matter of priority, and both the Prime Ministers took the opportunity to express their support for this. So, we will be working very actively in the coming months on this to have this operationalized.

On air traffic rights, our Ministry of Civil Aviation is examining the proposal by the Malaysian side for more passengers, more destinations, etc. I don't have anything new to report on this. Given the expanding people-to-people connections, the large number of tourists visiting both sides, there was a broad agreement that we need to enhance connectivity and that more Airlines and flights should be connecting India and Malaysia.

The fact that we are going to open a new consulate, Prime Minister Ibrahim announced that it will be in Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, and perhaps we will have more connectivity directed towards Sabah also. Thank you.

Shailendra Mishra, DD News: Sir, main Shailendra Mishra hoon DD News se. AITIGA ki samiksha ko lekar baat-cheet hui aage badhaya gaya hai. Isko lekar kya kuch pragati hai?

Aur dusra sawal sir humne dekha sahyog ke shetron mein semi-conductor par bahut charcha ho rahi hai aur is par ek sahmati bhi hui hai ki hum usmein sahyog ko aage badhaenge to kya kuch is par thoda sa vivran agar aap batayein ki kya kya kuch aage hone wala hai sahyog ke shetra mein.

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi]Sir, I am Shailendra Mishra from DD News. Discussions regarding the review of AITIGA have been taken forward. What progress has been made on this?

And my second question, sir: we have seen that there has been a lot of discussion on semiconductors in the areas of cooperation, and there is also an agreement that we will further strengthen cooperation in this sector. So, could you please provide some details on what is expected to happen next in this area of cooperation?

Brij Bhushan, Sadhna: Namaskar sir, main Sadhna Television Group se hoon. Aur mera bas do prashn the sir, jaise Bharat Sarkar ne mujhe lagta hai pichle 11 varshon mein no tolerance niti apnayi hai bhrashtachar ke maamle mein. Aur jaisa ki aapne aaj bataya ki aadarneeya Pradhan Mantri ji aur Malaysia ke Pradhan Mantri ke saath CBI aur yahan ki agency ke saath mein ek MoU sign hua hai. Toh ye maana jaaye ki kuch aise ab aise log jo Bharat ke saath kya unke aap naam ujaagar karenge jiske liye ek khaas niti banayi ja rahi hai?

Aur doosra prashn yeh hai ki pichle kuch samay se vipaksh khaas taur se Bharat mein hamare jab bhi koi ghatna hoti hai toh ye maana jaata hai ki ek varg vishesh ke virodh mein kaam kar rahi hai sarkar. Lekin pichle kuch samay se main dekh raha hoon ki aadarneeya Pradhan Mantri ji ki jo yaatrayen hain usmein Islamic deshon mein jis prakaar ka unhe samman aur jis prakaar ke pragatisheel MoU sign ho rahe hain, Malaysia mein bhi aisa hi kuch humein dekhne ko mil raha hai. Toh ye maana jaaye ki jo is tarah ka aarop lagaya jaata tha Bharat sarkar ke upar vipaksh ki taraf se aur doosre logon ki taraf se, ab hum Islamic deshon mein bhi Pradhan Mantri ji ki nitiyon aur videsh niti khaas taur se woh acceptable ho rahi hai.

[Approximate Translation: Question in Hindi]Hello sir, I am from the Sadhna Television Group. I have just two questions.

First, it seems that over the last 11 years, the Government of India has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against corruption. And as you mentioned today, an MoU has been signed between the CBI and the agency here, in the presence of the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and the Prime Minister of Malaysia. So, should it be understood that there are certain individuals whose names will now be revealed, and that a special policy is being prepared for those who are involved in such cases connected to India?

And my second question is that in recent times, the opposition-especially in India-often claims that whenever any incident takes place, it is assumed that the government is working against a particular community. However, over the past few months, I have noticed that during the Hon'ble Prime Minister's visits, he has been receiving great respect in Islamic countries, and several progressive MoUs are being signed. We are seeing something similar in Malaysia as well. So, can it be said that the kind of allegations made against the Government of India by the opposition and others are now being disproved, and that the Hon'ble Prime Minister's policies and India's foreign policy, in particular, are also becoming acceptable in Islamic countries?

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary (East):Aapne AITIGA review ki baat ki thi. AITIGA review abhi chal rahi hai aur naturally AITIGA India-ASEAN level pe hota hai toh agreement consensus ke basis pe achieve hoga. Toh saare ASEAN countries ke saath discussions ho rahe hain. Humara broad objective yeh hai ki hum log overall koi 80% tariff lines pe liberalization achieve karein aur har country level pe bhi minimum 70% tariff line liberalization achieve karein. Usme discussion chal rahe hain, usme least development countries ke liye kuch concessions milenge in terms of threshold level tariff liberalization kitna hona chahiye aur kitna time milna chahiye 70% liberalization se 80% liberalization tak pahunchne ke liye. Rules of origin kaise improve kiya jaaye, product-specific rules kaise banaya jaaye, kai technical issues hain isme jiske upar charcha chal rahi hai. And hopefully, in the next few months humari discussions conclude hongi aur Pradhan Mantri ji ne Malaysian Prime Minister ko shukriya ada kiya ki unhone kaafi support kiya is process mein. Malaysia India ke saath co-chair karta hai ye AITIGA review discussions ko, toh us silsile mein Pradhan Mantri ji ne unko thank kiya ki aapne accha sa help kiya coordinate karne mein aur discussions ko aage badhane mein.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi] You mentioned the AITIGA review. The AITIGA review is currently underway, and naturally, since AITIGA is at the India-ASEAN level, the agreement will be achieved on the basis of consensus. So, discussions are taking place with all ASEAN countries.Our broad objective is to achieve liberalization across around 80% of tariff lines overall, and at the level of each country as well, to achieve a minimum of 70% tariff line liberalization. Discussions are ongoing on this. For the least developed countries, some concessions will be provided in terms of what the threshold level of tariff liberalization should be, and how much time should be given to move from 70% liberalization to 80% liberalization.

There are also discussions on how to improve the rules of origin, how to frame product-specific rules, and several technical issues related to this. These matters are being actively discussed. And hopefully, in the next few months, our discussions will conclude. The Prime Minister also expressed his gratitude to the Malaysian Prime Minister for the strong support provided in this process. Malaysia co-chairs these AITIGA review discussions with India, and in that context, the Prime Minister thanked him for helping coordinate effectively and for taking the discussions forward.

Semiconductor ek bohot important area hai aur isko is area mein cooperation ko aage badhane ke liye Malaysia India Digital Council form kiya hai. Woh semiconductor mein bhi discussions ko aage badha raha hai aur baaki kuch areas bhi hain jaise DPI ho, e-governance platforms ho, cyber security, AI, fintech, digital transformation aur jaise abhi bataya tha payment linkages. Aur semiconductor ecosystem mein broadly ye maana jaata hai ki India ke design skills kaafi advanced hain aur Malaysia koi 30-35 years ka manufacturing experience hai unka aur assembly testing aur packaging ke bhi kaafi experience aur expertise hai. Toh humara effort yahi rahega ki in dono ko saath mein joda jaaye aur synergies achieve kiya jaaye. Humara yahi aasha hai ki aage badh kar ye kar paayenge hum log.

See, counter-terrorism ke baare mein toh maine kaafi detail mein baat kiya tha. Humara broad approach yeh hai ki we will try and address counter-terrorism in a comprehensive way. Transnational crimes, people smuggling ya human trafficking jo bola jaata hai, all kinds of, you know, transnational crimes and terrorism-related matters, violent extremism sab ko address karne ke liye National Security Dialogue hota hai. And iske kai saare maine bola tha ki Joint Working Group, Deputy NSA level, Colombo Security Conclave mein multilateral tareeke se bhi discussions ho rahe hain. Toh the approach is very, very comprehensive. Saare crimes usme covered hain aur saare tarah ke threats covered hain, multi-dimensional threats.

[Approximate Translation: Answer in Hindi]: Semiconductors are a very important area, and to further strengthen cooperation in this field, the Malaysia-India Digital Council has been formed. It is taking forward discussions on semiconductors, along with several other areas such as DPI, e-governance platforms, cybersecurity, AI, fintech, digital transformation, and as mentioned earlier, payment linkages. In the semiconductor ecosystem, it is broadly believed that India has highly advanced design skills, while Malaysia has around 30-35 years of manufacturing experience, along with significant expertise in assembly, testing, and packaging. So, our effort will be to bring these strengths together and achieve synergies. We hope that we will be able to take this forward in the coming time.

As far as counter-terrorism is concerned, I have already spoken about it in detail. Our broad approach is that we will try to address counter-terrorism in a comprehensive manner. Transnational crimes such as people smuggling or human trafficking, all kinds of transnational crimes, terrorism-related matters, and violent extremism-these are all addressed through the National Security Dialogue. And as I mentioned, discussions are also being held through several mechanisms such as the Joint Working Group, at the Deputy NSA level, and multilaterally through platforms like the Colombo Security Conclave. So, the approach is very comprehensive. All crimes are covered under it, and all kinds of threats are covered-multi-dimensional threats.

Shri Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. We come to the close of this briefing, but we still have a few programs which are currently on. We shall keep you updated on those as well. Thank you very much.

Shri P. Kumaran, Secretary East: Thank you. Thank you very much for coming.

Kuala Lumpur
February 08, 2026