Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to visit India next week

India and Malaysia are expected to conclude a key pact on trade and mobility during Anwar Ibrahim's maiden visit to New Delhi as Prime Minister next week, people in the know told ET.

The pact on trade is aimed at promoting Malaysian investments in India while the one on mobility is to safeguard the rights of Indian professionals in Malaysia, ET has learnt. The other pacts that will be on the table during Ibrahim’s August 19-21 visit include those on human resources and tourism.

Ibrahim’s visit will be a part of a series of engagements that are aimed at pushing India's Act Policy. In line with this, New Delhi hosted the Vietnamese Prime Minister earlier this month, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning to visit Thailand and Singapore on September 4 and 5.



The Palestine situation, Malaysia’s interest in joining BRICS as a partner country and the South China Sea situation are likely to figure when Ibrahim meets Modi here on August 20, according to THE people cited earlier.

Malaysia is a claimant state in the South China Sea region, and India would like to hear its views amid China’s designs in the area. Malaysia has been a strong votary of the Palestine cause and the two leaders will exchange views on the situation there.

Ibrahim is no stranger to India. He has visited the country in various capacities and has been eager to expand ties with New Delhi, experts on India-Malaysia ties said.


While India and Malaysia have a fairly good defence partnership, which has expanded into the defence industry sector in recent years, political ties have been lukewarm whenever Mahathir Mohammad has been in power due to his position on Kashmir. However, sources said that with the Mahathir era over, there are prospects of better ties.

Malaysia is India’s third-largest trading partner within the ASEAN region, while India holds the position of Malaysia’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia is the 28th largest investor in India, with its corporate sector having put in US$1.17 billion between April 2000 and March 2023. Around 70 Malaysian companies, including joint ventures, have established operations in India, focusing on diverse sectors like infrastructure, telecommunications, oil and gas, power plants, tourism, and human resources. Malaysian construction companies have a big presence in India.