New Zealand to deploy surveillance plane to Malaysia under 5-nation defence pact

The two countries also call for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war and talks towards finding a two-state solution

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Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim and New Zealand’s PM Christopher Luxon at a welcoming ceremony in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 5:22pm, 2 Sep 2024Updated: 5:23pm, 2 Sep 2024

New Zealand pledged to send its new surveillance aircraft to Malaysia for joint exercises, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said on Monday, as the two countries announced plans to expand defence ties under the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).

The leaders of both countries also called for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war. Their appeal comes as hundreds of thousands of Israelis rallied to demand Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu end the assault on Gaza and negotiate the release of over 100 Israelis still held hostage by Hamas.

During his first official visit to Malaysia since taking office in November, Luxon said New Zealand would be expanding defence cooperation with “one of our oldest friends in Asia” starting with the deployment of the P8 Poseidon patrol and surveillance aircraft as part of the FPDA.

He did not say when or how many of the planes would be deployed.

“We have agreed on new cooperation to enhance efforts on transnational crime, counterterrorism and countering violent extremism,” he said at a joint news conference with his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur.

New Zealand received delivery of its four P8 Poseidon aircraft, built by American aerospace and defence firm Boeing, between 2022 and 2023, in an upgrade of its ageing P-3K2 Orion patrol aircraft that have been in operation since the 1960s.