Malaysia Defense and Security

In its latest budget, the government of Malaysia acknowledged the importance of peace and stability in achieving economic prosperity. Malaysia recently announced a 2023 budget of $4 billion for the Ministry of Defense, a nominal 10 percent increase over the original 2022 allocation.

Malaysia’s Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for public order, border, and maritime security, crime, and terrorism prevention. Those areas are covered under the Ministry’s enforcement agencies, such as the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agencies (MMEA), Malaysian Prison Department (PRIDE), and Immigration. The Ministry of Home Affairs received a budget of $4.2 billion.

Malaysia’s Prime Minister indicated that the substantial increase in national defense and public security development expenditure is intended to bolster the readiness of the Malaysian Armed Forces and seek modernization of their assets.

Malaysian recently announced procurement plans for assets such as body-worn cameras, closed-circuit diving equipment, sub-machine guns, static parachutes, parachutes, thermal binoculars, firearms and ammunition, and the building of a sniper shooting tower. 

If you represent a U.S. company in the defense, safety, and security sectors keen to explore opportunities in Malaysia, please get in touch with Senior Commercial Specialist Siau Wei Pung at office.kualalumpur@trade.gov.