Khaled Nordin, the defense minister of Malaysia, stated that his country will not rush to increase its defense budget despite US pressure to become more self-reliant. He emphasized that Malaysia needs to allocate its budget to various sectors as it is not a developed nation. Khaled also discussed alternatives with US defense secretary Pete Hegseth after Norway blocked a missile contract export license. Hegseth offered to sell American missiles as a replacement, which Malaysia would seriously consider. With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz choking energy supplies and trade to Asia, Khaled dismissed concerns that something similar could happen closer to home, guaranteeing that the vital Strait of Malacca will remain a free navigation corridor managed neutrally with Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand.
SINGAPORE: Malaysia will not rush to increase its defence budget despite US pressure for partners to become more self-reliant, as the Southeast Asian nation seeks to balance military modernisation with other critical sectors, defense minister Khaled Nordin said.
His remarks came moments after US defence secretary Pete Hegseth urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to a 3.5% of GDP target in part to counter China’s ‘historic military buildup’. Malaysia is also pursuing asymmetrical warfare capabilities, focusing on low-cost, mass-produced weapons like drones and rockets. It’s also pursuing technology from countries like Turkey, South Korea and Australia, and remains open to Chinese or Russian procurement.
Khaled noted Hegseth assured him of Washington’s commitment to the region during a meeting yesterday. To address defense constraints, Khaled met with Hegseth on Friday to discuss alternatives after Norway abruptly blocked a missile contract export license, citing a policy to sell only to Nato allies. Hegseth told him in that meeting the US was ‘in the dark’ over Norway’s move and offered to sell American missiles as a replacement, an option he said Malaysia would seriously consider.
With the closure of the Strait of Hormuz choking energy supplies and trade to Asia, Khaled dismissed concerns that something similar could happen closer to home, guaranteeing that the vital Strait of Malacca will remain a free navigation corridor managed neutrally with Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand.
‘We can give our assurance that the Strait of Malacca will be a strait that will allow free flow of navigation,’ he said
Malaysia Defense Budget Self-Reliance Military Modernization Asymmetrical Warfare Capabilities Low-Cost Mass-Produced Weapons Drones Rockets Technology Procurement US Pressure Pete Hegseth Strait Of Hormuz Strait Of Malacca Free Navigation Corridor Neutral Management
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