Geelong: Malaysia and Australia have agreed to enhance their existing defence relationship, transitioning from mere cooperation to a more practical and strategic collaboration, as announced by Malaysia's Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the agreement was formalized during the sixth Malaysia-Australia High-Level Committee (HLC) Meeting in Geelong, Australia. The meeting was co-chaired by Mohamed Khaled and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. Mohamed Khaled emphasized the role of the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) as the central mechanism to ensure all agreed initiatives are pursued with clear direction and follow-up actions.

The initiatives include technology and defence capability development aimed at fortifying both nations' capacities. Mohamed Khaled highlighted that the focus is on transitioning Malaysia-Australia defence relations from cooperation to collaboration, fostering stronger unity in addressing future security challenges. This was articulated in a post on his official Facebook page.

Prior to the HLC meeting, Mohamed Khaled and Marles engaged in a bilateral meeting. The sixth HLC meeting was the highlight of Mohamed Khaled's three-day working visit to Australia, which aimed to evaluate the progress of defence cooperation and determine the future trajectory of bilateral defence relations. This meeting follows the fifth HLC session held in Kuala Lumpur in August 2025, with a continued focus on exploring new opportunities for defence cooperation between the two countries.