Explained: This article explains the political background, key decisions, and possible outcomes related to Explained : Modi may visit Malaysia in early February and Its Impact and why it matters right now.
The visit is being planned months after Modi had to skip physical participation in the ASEAN summit, organised by Malaysia in October last year, due to domestic commitments and Bihar assembly elections.
India and Malaysia decided to elevate their ties to the level of comprehensive strategic partnership in August 2024 during Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim’s visit here. While India and Malaysia have expanded their defence partnership in recent years, political ties have been lukewarm whenever Mahathir Mohammad has been in power owing to his position on Kashmir.
With Ibrahim in charge since November 2022, there are prospects of better ties, according to people in the know. Malaysia is India’s third-largest trading partner in the ASEAN region.