New Zealand and Malaysia to cooperate on counter-terrorism

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday his country would expand defence cooperation with Malaysia under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) and would send an air force P8 Poseidon patrol and reconnaissance aircraft to Butterworth for a joint exercise.

“We agreed on new cooperation to enhance efforts in the areas of transnational crime, counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism,” he said at a joint press conference with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur.

Between 2022 and 2023, New Zealand will receive four P8 Poseidon aircraft, built by US aerospace company Boeing. They are an upgrade of the ageing P-3K2 Orion patrol aircraft that have been in service since the 1960s.

In 1971, Malaysia and New Zealand joined the Five Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA), a multilateral defence alliance that also includes Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom. The alliance’s air defence operation is based at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Butterworth, Penang.

The five member states regularly hold naval, air and infantry exercises under the agreement. In 2004, it was expanded to include non-traditional areas such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

Malaysia is New Zealand’s third largest trading partner in Southeast Asia. New Zealand imports dairy products and halal-certified meat from Malaysia, while it mainly exports mineral fuels and machinery to Malaysia. Last year, bilateral trade between Malaysia and New Zealand reached NZ$4.8 billion (US$3 billion), according to data from Wellington’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Office.

During a press conference held together with his Malaysian counterpart during a visit to the country, Luxon also stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

(With input from Reuters)