Modi arrives in Malaysia to meet newly-elected PM Mahathir

Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived here from Indonesia to meet his newly-elected Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad.

Ninety-two-year-old Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia’s prime minister on May 10 after leading the opposition alliance to a stunning election victory over the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had ruled Malaysia since 1957.

Modi and Mahathir are expected to deliberate on ways to deepen bilateral relationship in a range of areas, including trade and investment. Modi had announced in New Delhi that on his way to Singapore, he will make a brief halt in Malaysia to meet Mahathir and congratulate the new Malaysian leadership.

From here, the Prime Minister will leave for Singapore where he will deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security meet, tomorrow. During his first-ever official visit to Indonesia, Modi held “productive discussions” with President Joko Widodo.

The two countries elevated their bilateral ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terror. India and Indonesia also signed 15 agreements, including one to boost defence cooperation and called for freedom of navigation in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.