Malaysia's Defence Minister on US Call for Increased Spending
Quick Look
- Malaysia's Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin stated that while the US has the right to ask allies to increase defence expenditure, Malaysia, as a developing economy, faces limitations.
- His comments followed US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth's call for Asian allies to raise military spending to 3.5% of GDP to counter China's military build-up.
- Malaysia's 2026 budget allocated 21.74 billion ringgit for defence.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Asian allies at a security forum to increase military spending to counter China's military build-up. Malaysia's Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin responded to these calls.
Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the US had “every right” to ask allies to raise defence expenditure, but stressed that Malaysia faced limits as a developing economy.
“It doesn’t mean that we will implement it immediately because America says so,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the security forum.
His remarks came after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Asian allies at the forum to ramp up military spending to as much as 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product, partly to counter China’s “historic military build-up”.
Malaysia’s defence ministry received 21.74 billion ringgit (US$5.5 billion) under the 2026 budget, up 2.9 per cent from the previous year, with 6 billion ringgit earmarked for acquiring armed forces assets and equipment.
Open Questions
- What specific limits does Malaysia face as a developing economy in increasing defence expenditure?
- Will Malaysia consider increasing its defence expenditure in the future, and if so, under what conditions?
- What is the specific nature of the 'security forum' where these remarks were made?
