Kuala Lumpur, August 10, 2025 – The Europe Today: Malaysia and Australia are celebrating the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year, underscoring a long-standing partnership of strategic depth and significant regional impact.
Over the decades, the bilateral relationship has evolved into a comprehensive partnership spanning multiple sectors, with a shared commitment to fostering peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Central to this partnership is robust defence cooperation, exemplified by the Malaysian-Australian Joint Defence Programme, which remains a cornerstone of their ties.
Dr. Tharishini Krishnan, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Defence Studies and Management, National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM), noted that Australia’s armed forces played a pivotal role in supporting Malaysia’s defence and security development in its formative years, particularly through sustained engagement during the Malayan Emergency and “Konfrontasi.” These operations, she said, laid the groundwork for enduring cooperation under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) established in 1971.
She highlighted that the Malaysia-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), launched in 2021, enhances coordination in maritime security, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), complementing FPDA exercises such as Bersama Shield and Bersama Gold. This framework, she added, “future-proofs” defence collaboration, ensuring freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and joint preparedness for regional crises.
Joint FPDA exercises, maritime domain awareness initiatives, and counter-piracy patrols—particularly in the Strait of Malacca—continue to demonstrate operational interoperability and readiness to respond to traditional and non-traditional security threats. Both nations also share Indo-Pacific visions rooted in ASEAN centrality, freedom of navigation, and a rules-based order, with growing strategic alignment amid intensifying great-power rivalry.
Professor Dr. Phar Kim Beng, Director of the Institute of Internationalisation and ASEAN Studies (IINTAS) at the International Islamic University Malaysia, underscored the FPDA’s flexibility as a key to its relevance, enabling tailored engagement among members. He added that Malaysia’s reciprocal cooperation with partners such as New Zealand reflects its readiness to deepen ties with the UK, Australia, and Singapore.
On economic collaboration, Phar stressed the importance of leveraging multilateral platforms such as APEC, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to advance bilateral trade and investment. He also called for stronger people-to-people ties, alumni engagement, and educational linkages, suggesting that Australia could support Malaysia’s 10-year civilian nuclear energy development plan by leveraging its expertise and connections.
Diplomatic relations between the two countries date back to before Malaya’s independence, with Australia establishing a commission in Kuala Lumpur in 1955 and Malaya opening a commission in Canberra in 1956.
The 70th anniversary celebrations coincide with Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship this year. Australia, ASEAN’s first dialogue partner since 1974, elevated its relationship with the bloc to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021, reinforcing its commitment to regional cooperation.
