The 6th Australia-Malaysia High Level Committee Meeting took place in Geelong on 18 September 2026, jointly chaired by Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Malaysian Defence Minister Dato' Seri Mohamed Khaled bin Nordin. The two nations' defence ties were described as longstanding, with officials pointing to years of cooperation underpinning their shared goals of stability and prosperity across the region. The gathered officials affirmed a collective dedication to national sovereignty, adherence to international law, and a regional framework centred on ASEAN. Leaders pledged to uphold a dependable and forward-looking defence alliance equipped to handle the security demands of the next ten years. The two sides committed to strengthening their defence ties through expanded cooperation aimed at fostering a stable, accessible, and interconnected Indo-Pacific region. Both nations acknowledged ongoing progress under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with defence ties identified as a foundational element underpinning the wider bilateral relationship. Both nations' defence ministers agreed to upgrade the Australia-Malaysia partnership and form a Strategic Planning Committee as an initial measure, with the body set to meet as soon as possible to advance priority areas of practical cooperation and oversee their delivery. Both nations' defence ministers expressed support for deepening bilateral military ties under the Malaysia-Australia Joint Defence Program (MAJDP), pointing to Exercise Keris Strike 2026 in Sabah, broadened cooperation between naval and special operations forces, and wider access to professional military training and personnel exchange programmes. Both defence ministers committed to expanding cooperation through advanced and operationally relevant joint activities, with the goal of deepening interoperability between their respective armed forces. Delegates underscored the value of Operation Gateway, noting its ongoing role in bolstering maritime surveillance across the region to support broader peace and order. Acknowledging shifts in the broader regional security landscape, defence ministers from Malaysia and Australia agreed to examine ways to deepen cooperation under Operation Gateway, with a focus on improving joint capabilities and closer operational alignment. Advances in infrastructure development and runway restoration work at RMAF Butterworth Air Base were highlighted during the ministerial discussions. Both parties anticipated the project's conclusion by the end of 2026 and reached an agreement to mark the occasion with a joint ceremony once construction was finished. Both sides affirmed the value of RMAF Butterworth as a hub for joint defence activities, regional engagement, and Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) commitments. Ongoing cooperation on infrastructure projects throughout Malaysia received backing from government ministers. Both nations noted headway in negotiations toward a Malaysia-Australia Security of Information Arrangement and in deepening cooperation on information protection matters. Delegates expressed support for the progress being made on the SIA and pledged to pursue its finalisation as soon as circumstances allow. The two nations formalised a refreshed bilateral logistics support pact, with officials noting it would deepen practical defence ties and extend cooperation across a wider set of joint, regional, and multilateral activities. The agreement was described by ministers as a framework that would strengthen joint military cooperation, bolster logistical capabilities and shared operational standards, and support forthcoming exercises, missions and bilateral engagements. Both nations' ministers pledged to deepen cooperation across their defence industries, including through the potential formation of a Defence Science Technology and Industry Working Group tasked with pinpointing joint projects of shared benefit, while also anticipating an Australian defence industry trade delegation visiting Malaysia in the coming months. The trade mission, officials said, would allow government bodies, industry representatives and defence stakeholders from both nations to examine concrete pathways for cooperation, advance capability development goals and build enduring bilateral defence industry ties. Both nations underscored the value of deepening cooperative ties and endorsed a broader range of hands-on engagement between Malaysia and Australia to tackle emerging cyber challenges. Pledging to deepen cooperation on digital security and cyber resilience, officials acknowledged the expanding role of cyberspace in underpinning regional defence and security frameworks. Government ministers raised concerns about reported cyber operations attributed to state-sponsored actors, including large-scale financial theft from banks and other institutions across the Indo-Pacific region, allegedly conducted to finance prohibited weapons development. Gathered at the meeting, ministers stressed the need to curb the spread of nuclear arms and other weapons capable of mass destruction across the Indo-Pacific region, while pledging to uphold peace, security, and stability throughout the area. Both nations' ministers underscored the ongoing importance of the Malaysia-Australia Future Leaders' Program in building lasting networks and mutual understanding among up-and-coming defence personnel. The two nations are scheduled to convene the programme's next edition in Australia in 2026, giving rising leaders from each country a platform to discuss regional security matters and identify fresh pathways for defence collaboration. The ministers expressed collective agreement on a vision for an Indo-Pacific region characterised by openness, stability, prosperity, inclusivity, and resilience. Both parties pledged to uphold the obligations outlined in the ASEAN-Australia Joint Leaders' Statement on Conflict Prevention and Crisis Management within the ASEAN-led Regional Architecture. Delegates stressed the need for open communication, accountability, trust-building steps, and respect for international legal frameworks to lower the chances of misunderstanding, miscalculation, and armed confrontation. Delegates reiterated their backing for ASEAN's central role and a regional framework guided by openness, inclusivity, transparency, resilience, and adherence to established rules. The gathering of defence ministers noted the value of the ADMM-Plus framework and its Experts' Working Groups in advancing trust-building, collaborative engagement, and stability across the region. Delegates expressed support for ongoing cooperation on efforts to advance the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific through a defence lens, pledging continued joint work across areas such as maritime security, cybersecurity, and humanitarian and disaster relief operations. Gathered at the meeting, ministers reaffirmed their backing for the FPDA, describing it as a one-of-a-kind multilateral defence arrangement centred on Southeast Asia and the longest-running regional security framework in which Australia holds membership. The year 2026 will mark the 55th anniversary of the FPDA, with officials acknowledging the alliance's lasting role in fostering regional security and defence collaboration since its establishment in 1971. Defence ministers endorsed Malaysia's role as host of the Five Power Defence Arrangements ministerial gathering and Exercise Suman Protector in 2027, while affirming their commitment to the ongoing development and modernisation of FPDA cooperation aimed at tackling shared challenges, strengthening joint operational capability, and projecting unified determination. Delegates stressed the need to protect freedom of navigation and overflight, guarantee safe and secure passage through maritime zones, and resolve disputes peacefully through dialogue and diplomacy in line with international law, notably the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Delegates renewed calls for restraint, urging all parties to avoid conduct that jeopardises stability, navigation safety, and peaceful coexistence across the South China Sea. The statement stressed that ocean and sea activities must fall under territorial claims aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the overarching international legal instrument governing such matters. Member nations were urged to address disputes through peaceful means, in keeping with international law. Delegates underscored that any Code of Conduct governing the South China Sea must align with international law, including UNCLOS, while preserving all parties' established rights under that framework. Delegations underscored the need for stability in the Taiwan Strait region, noting that every party bears responsibility for averting hostilities through dialogue, confidence-building measures, and greater openness. Officials underscored the need for openness and clarity of purpose to lower the likelihood of miscalculation across the region. Officials indicated that the submarine-launched ballistic missile test conducted from the South China Sea toward the Pacific fell short of what the region had anticipated. All area partners were urged to uphold safe, professional standards and adhere to established operational guidelines. Government ministers renewed calls for a ceasefire and a lasting resolution to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Maintaining open passage through the Strait of Hormuz and neighbouring waterways has been viewed as a foundational element for the smooth functioning of global trade flows and energy distribution networks, with particular relevance to the Indo-Pacific. Ministers noted the growing complexity of the regional security landscape, spanning threats in cyber operations, maritime affairs, counter-terrorism, the rise of violent extremism, new technologies, and the broader defence implications of artificial intelligence. Delegates pledged to deepen cooperation on data sharing, joint research, and on-the-ground coordination in tackling common concerns. Defence cooperation was set to be strengthened through routine senior-level dialogue, broadened force-to-force activities, and tighter alignment on shared regional and global security priorities.
