KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 16 (Bernama) -- The sixth Malaysia-Australia High-Level Committee (HLC) meeting on Sept 18 will be the highlight of Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin’s three-day working visit to Australia to assess the progress of bilateral defence cooperation and chart the future direction of relations between the two nations
In a statement today, Mohamed Khaled said the meeting, to be held in Geelong, would be co-chaired by Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles.
He said the sixth HLC follows the fifth meeting held in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 21, 2025, with this year’s session providing an opportunity to explore new areas of defence cooperation between the two countries.
The working visit will also include a meeting with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to exchange views on current security developments and challenges of mutual interest.
Mohamed Khaled is also scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Marles and hold a bilateral meeting with him in Geelong, focusing on strengthening bilateral defence ties and exploring new areas for cooperation.
He said the defence relationship between Malaysia and Australia is long-standing, having endured through periods of war and peace, and continues to evolve through bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
According to him, the foundation of this robust relationship was built on mutual trust and confidence developed over the years.
“Beyond strong bilateral ties, Malaysia and Australia also cooperate through platforms such as the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) to address various regional security challenges.
“In an increasingly complex security landscape, this long-standing relationship must be further strengthened and elevated — moving from mere cooperation to collaboration that is more strategic, substantive and result-oriented,” he said.
Accompanying Mohamed Khaled on the working visit will be Ministry of Defence Deputy Secretary-General (Policy) Datuk Mohd Yani Daud, Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Australia Datin Paduka Sharrina Abdullah and Director-General of the Malaysian Defence Intelligence Organisation (MDIO) Lieutenant General Datuk Fazal Abdul Rahman, as well as senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and Malaysian Armed Forces.
--BERNAMA