KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia reiterated its commitment to neutrality in maintaining stability across Southeast Asia.

The Defence Ministry, in a statement, said Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin highlighted this in a meeting with his counterparts from various countries at the Seoul Defence Dialogue (SDD) 2024.

"Through established defence cooperation, Malaysia can optimise various benefits such as offset programmes, training, and technology transfer, especially in the field of AI technology.

"Additionally, this cooperation is vital in addressing non-traditional threats that require cross-border and intercontinental intelligence sharing.

"Both ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defence and military relations through various platforms and enhancing national defence capabilities," it said.

Khaled had held meetings with Minister of State for Defence Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei; the Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Korea Kim Yong Hyun; and the Minister of Defence Acquisition Program Administration of South Korea Seok Jong Gun.

Khaled had led the Malaysian delegation to the Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Military Domain (REAIM) Summit and the 13th S (SDD) 2024, held from held from Sept 8 to 12 in Seoul, South Korea.

Khaled also held a bilateral meeting with the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs,Nakamitsu Izumi, to discuss Malaysia's stance on REAIM and its implications for international security.

"During the meeting, the minister stressed that the UN, as the sole universal organisation, must ensure that discussions on AI occur at its level, particularly to establish an objective and impartial framework.

"All member states should have equitable access to new technologies to prevent a technological gap between nations.

"Efforts for capacity-building will ensure that all member states can benefit from advancements in AI and other emerging technologies," it said.

Towards the end of the visit Khaled also toured Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd (KAI) and Hanwha Aerospace Industries, which will supply 18 FA-50M fighter jets to the ministry.

The visit was aimed to observe the construction process of the FA-50M light combat aircraft, where the project's progress as of August was at 39 per cent.

This encompasses all phases of aircraft development and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS), including the development of simulators and training support equipment, procurement of spare parts and support equipment, as well as training for pilots and engineering personnel.

During the visit, Khaled also expressed that Malaysia is open to collaborating with any country interested in sharing strategic defence technology, while strengthening relations with defence industry players from both nations

This emphasis aligns with the government's focus on modernising strategic defence assets and supporting the development of the national defence industry, it said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/09/1105441/malaysia-reaffirms-neutral-stance-seoul-defence-dialogue