Malaysia and India to cooperate on cyber warfare, poverty eradication

Malaysia and India are committed to working together in the fields of technology, the fight against cyberwarfare, terrorism and poverty eradication, says Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The deputy prime minister noted that both countries also agreed on the setting up of a taskforce to look at these issues, following her 30-minute meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who made a brief stop in Malaysia yesterday.

“I think the task force is a good idea. We are facing regional threats such as cyberwarfare and terrorism that undermine our country’s security.

“I think the way forward is to work together to beef up our artificial intelligence and defence systems,” she said in a statement tonight.

During the meeting at the Bunga Raya Complex in KLIA, Wan Azizah was accompanied by her husband and de facto PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Meanwhile, Modi, as quoted in the statement, said the task force would, among others, be responsible to come up with areas in which both countries could work together and chalk out programmes with set targets and deadlines.

He also pointed out that terrorists today were well connected with their own support systems and global networks, perhaps with better connectivity compared to ordinary people, making them the biggest threat to humanity.

Modi also praised Wan Azizah for her courage in the struggle to topple the previous government.

“There would be very few people in the world who could have shouldered the responsibility the way you have and your name and contribution will be enshrined in the history of this country,” he said.

“You have no interest in politics, and yet you took it upon yourself as a sense of duty and you have done it very well, I think it is great,” he added.

Modi, who is on a visit to the Southeast Asia region, made a brief stopover to Malaysia to personally extend his best wishes and congratulations to Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the Pakatan Harapan’s victory in the 14th general election and his appointment as the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia.

This is the first meeting between the two leaders. Modi's last visit to Malaysia was on Nov 23, 2015.

- Bernama