TERRORISM remains the key regional concern for Malaysia and Australia, as defence officials from both nations met today for the inaugural High-Level Committee on Defence Cooperation (HLC) In Penang.

The meeting, which will become an annual event and to be hosted by Australia next year, also marked the 60th anniversary of Australia’s presence at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Butterworth on mainland Penang.

In a joint statement, Malaysian Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu and his Australian counterpart Marise Payne agreed that terrorism was a main concern in the region, including the return of foreign terrorist fighters from overseas conflicts.

Both ministers condemned terrorism and reiterated the commitment of both nations to work together to counter the threat.

Malaysia and Australia will also identify ways to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation through bilateral and multilateral means.

The ministers also affirmed their commitment to the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) as an integral part of the region’s security architecture.

The FPDA is a series of defence relationships set up by multilateral agreements between Commonwealth countries Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand and the United Kingdom in 1971.

Under the agreement, the five nations will consult each other immediately at the event of a threat or armed attack to decide what measures to take jointly or separately.

The 10th FPDA Defence Ministers’ Meeting had agreed to continue to strengthen counterterrorism activities and enhance the operational value of the exercises.

On the Royal Australian Air Force’s presence at the Butterworth RMAF base, Mohamad and Payne agreed it was a key part of the countries’ relationship, apart from being unique in the region.

Both said the bilateral relationship was strong, with both nations participating in engagement activities that included the secondment of officers, training and education exchanges.

Other bilateral initiatives included the upgrading of facilities used by the RAAF at the Butterworth base and Australia providing spare parts for the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets used by RMAF.

“The longevity of this arrangement testifies to it serving the interests of both Malaysia and Australia.

“The people-to-people links created have been strong as shown by the commitment given by former military personnel attending the celebrations,” they said in the statement.

Both ministers said they would explore ways to further strengthen the relationship. – June 25, 2018.