Malaysia Halts Defence Procurement from Norway

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA) - The Malaysian government has decided to halt the procurement of defence equipment from Norway, following Norway’s unilateral cancellation of an export licence for missiles to Malaysia. Government spokesperson and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil stated on Wednesday that the cabinet has directed the Ministry of Defence to immediately cease any new procurement of defence equipment or supplies from Norway. The decision was made after the government reviewed recent developments regarding Norway’s cancellation of the export licence for missiles that were to be installed on the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had previously conveyed strong objections over the revocation of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) export licence directly to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store via telephone. Anwar stated that the decision was made unilaterally by Norway under the pretext of protecting its own security. He stressed that Malaysia had meticulously fulfilled every obligation under the contract since 2018, in good faith and without any hesitation. “However, it appears that Norway does not feel the need to show the same attitude towards us or to uphold that good faith,” Anwar asserted.