PUTRAJAYA, Sept 2 – Malaysia and New Zealand have reaffirmed their commitment to regional cooperation under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).
In fact, the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s new P-8A Poseidon aircraft will continue the long-running practice of New Zealand maritime patrol aircraft deploying to the Royal Malaysia Air Force Base Butterworth as part of the upcoming FPDA exercise, Bersama Lima.
This was stated in the joint statement issued following a joint press conference between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today.
Luxon is on a three-day visit to Malaysia from Sept 1 to 3 for bilateral discussions and collaboration. This is his first visit to the country since taking office in November 2023.
“The Prime Ministers recognised the FPDA as a longstanding defence commitment that remains relevant to the strategic interests of both nations,” the statement read.
Anwar and Luxon noted Malaysia and New Zealand’s long-standing defence relationship, dating back to the Second World War, and both confirmed that the two countries would also maintain regular bilateral defence cooperation.
