As India steps into its third term under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, Southeast Asia has emerged as a central focus of its foreign policy. The region plays a crucial role in the Indo-Pacific theatre and has become pivotal to India’s strategic, economic, and diplomatic interests.

Recent high-level engagements, such as Modi’s visit to Singapore and Brunei in early September, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s articulation of India’s stance on the South China Sea, and the visits of Vietnamese and Malaysian Prime Ministers to India, signal a continuity in the strategic significance of Southeast Asia to India’s foreign policy vision.

‘Look East’ To ‘Act East’

The central government’s “Act East Policy,” an evolution from the previous “Look East Policy,” signifies a more proactive engagement with Southeast Asian nations. Under Modi, this policy has become a cornerstone of India’s Indo-Pacific strategy, which promotes a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based order.

The region’s strategic importance is underscored by its geographical proximity to India and its role as a gateway to the South China Sea, a vital maritime corridor for global trade. Southeast Asia is a crucial part of the Indo-Pacific’s geopolitical framework, and India’s growing relationship with the region is seen as a counterbalance to China’s expanding and often predatory influence. In Modi 3.0, India aims to solidify its position as a reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific region, with Southeast Asia being a crucial element of this strategy.

New Delhi has placed particular emphasis on fostering closer ties with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) member states. Trade between India and ASEAN has grown steadily in recent years, with bilateral trade exceeding $100 billion in 2023. In addition to economic cooperation, India’s strategic interests in the region have also deepened.

Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam

In Singapore, Modi’s talks with newly elected Prime Minister Lawrence Wong resulted in substantive agreements, particularly in the semiconductor sector in addition to health, skilling, and digital security. The “India-Singapore Semiconductor Ecosystem Partnership” inked during the visit, aims to facilitate the entry of Singaporean companies into India. This partnership is integral to New Delhi’s ambitions to become a global semiconductor hub, leveraging complementary strengths to build resilience in the global chip supply chain. Parallelly, Modi’s visit to Brunei, a strategically located nation in the South China Sea, marked a key moment in India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision. It was the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister and coincided with the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In Modi 3.0, Vietnam has emerged as one of India’s most important Southeast Asian partners. The two countries share concerns over China’s growing assertiveness in the South China Sea, where both India and Vietnam have vested interests in oil exploration and freedom of navigation. Discussions on defence cooperation, trade, and energy security marked the visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính to India. Vietnam is a linchpin in India’s Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific strategy, strengthening their naval ties and defence collaboration. India and Vietnam have signed several agreements on defence, maritime security, and energy and economic cooperation. Both countries are committed to upholding international law in the South China Sea, further aligning their strategic interests. The bilateral relationship has also expanded into renewable energy, IT, and infrastructure development, with India playing a significant role in Vietnam’s development plans.

Resetting Ties With Malaysia

Similarly, the visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to India highlighted a much-needed reset in bilateral ties following a dip in relations before 2022. Malaysia’s importance to India stems from its strategic location along vital maritime routes in the Indo-Pacific and its role as a significant trading partner. During Anwar’s visit, the two leaders discussed enhancing economic cooperation, particularly in technology, renewable energy, and digital connectivity. Malaysia’s support for India’s Act East Policy and its role in ASEAN make it a valuable partner for India as it seeks to expand its presence in Southeast Asia.

The South China Sea Question

Finally, India’s position on the South China Sea has evolved significantly over the years, shifting from a cautious, neutral stance to one that has now clearly articulated its support for the Philippines’ sovereign maritime territorial claims, freedom of navigation and maritime resource exploitation, in line with international law. This aligns India with Southeast Asian nations against unilateral actions by China, while also serving India’s strategic interests by ensuring freedom of navigation and bolstering regional security. India’s nuanced stance, informed by its own territorial tensions with China on its northern land border, underscores its intent to deter unilateral and unlawful advances.

Modi 3.0 marks a significant evolution in India’s engagement with Southeast Asia, driven by geopolitical imperatives and economic interests. The Modi administration has steadily deepened the extent and scope of its ties with Southeast Asian countries, and his third consecutive tenure in office looks poised to build on the gains of the last ten years. 

(Harsh V. Pant is Vice President – Studies and Foreign Policy, at Observer Research Foundation, and Professor of International Relations at King’s College London. Pratnashree Basu is an Associate Fellow – Indo-Pacific, at Observer Research Foundation.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author

Kuala Lumpur:

A 45-year-old woman from Andhra Pradesh has gone missing in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur after being swept away into a sewage drain after the footpath she was walking on collapsed suddenly.

The woman, identified as Vijayalakshmi from Chittoor district’s  Animiganipalle village, was reportedly walking along a footpath when the ground collapsed. While her husband and son managed to escape the collapse, she was swept into the underground sewer.

Rescue operations were launched immediately by the civic authorities in Kuala Lumpur and are ongoing. Despite their efforts, there was no sign of Vijayalakshmi as of Saturday evening.

Vijayalakshmi was known for frequently travelling to Malaysia and Singapore as part of her business. 

In response to the incident, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials from the Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu (APNRT) Society to ensure that the search operations are conducted effectively. 

The Chief Minister, along with Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Nara Lokesh, has been closely monitoring the situation.

Iran has relied on Malaysian service providers to get around international sanctions and sell its oil in the region. File (Image used for representation purpose only)
| Photo Credit: AP

Iran has relied on Malaysian service providers to get around international sanctions and sell its oil in the region, a senior U.S. Treasury official said on May 7 .

Washington has imposed significant sanctions on Iran and its proxies aimed at choking financial flows it said were being used to foment instability in the Middle East.

Tehran’s oil sales in East Asia have financed its armed proxies, including Palestinian militant group Hamas and Yemen’s Huthis, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The oil shipments have been sent to buyers in the region through waters near Singapore and Malaysia, the official said.

“The capacity of Iran to move its oil has relied on these types of service providers that are based in Malaysia. We want to have a direct conversation with Malaysians about that,” the official added.

“Stopping these oil shipments will deal a critical blow to Iran’s ability to fund these attacks around the world including the Houthi attacks that are currently threatening commercial shipping.”

The U.S. Treasury will work with maritime operators and banking executives in Singapore and Malaysia to stop the sales, the official added.

Washington also wants to “prevent Malaysia from becoming a jurisdiction where Hamas perceives that it can both fundraise and then move money”, the official said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said last month that Washington was working to diminish Iran’s ability to export oil, adding there might be “more that we could do”.

Hamas’ unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched a retaliatory offensive that has killed at least 34,789 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s Health Ministry.

Malaysia’s Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah hugs her brother Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor after the election for the next Malaysian king at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur on October 27, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Malaysia’s royalty on Friday chose an influential sultan from the southern state of Johor to be the country’s next king.

The position is largely ceremonial but oversees major appointments such as the Prime Minister and serves as the head of Islam in the Muslim-majority country and the commander-in-chief of its armed forces.

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy, with a unique arrangement where the throne changes hands every five years between rulers of the nine Malaysian states headed by centuries-old Islamic royalty.

Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar was appointed the country’s 17th king after a conference of rulers in the capital Kuala Lumpur.

The 64-year-old will be sworn in after the incumbent king’s term expires on January 31 next year, before a coronation ceremony several months later.

The system has been in place since independence from Britain in 1957. The outgoing king, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, ascended the throne in 2019.

Ibrahim hails from the wealthy and powerful Johor royal family, the head of which commands its private army.

He has a close relationship with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and often comments on Malaysian politics.

He is a hands-on monarch and a fully trained army, navy and air force officer who studied abroad in the United States.

The king also wields the power to pardon convicted figures. In 2018 Sultan Muhammad V, one of Ibrahim’s predecessors, pardoned Anwar, who had served a jail sentence for sodomy.

The role of the king in Malaysia is accorded considerable prestige, particularly among the country’s Malay Muslim majority. Criticism deemed to incite contempt of the king can attract a jail term.

The last time a Johor sultan became king was 39 years ago when Ibrahim’s father, Sultan Iskandar was proclaimed as Malaysia’s eighth king in 1984.