Malaysia suspends new defense procurement from Norway

Malaysia on Wednesday announced the immediate suspension of all new defense procurements from Norway.

“The Cabinet has decided that the Defence Ministry suspend with immediate effect any procurement of new defence equipment or assets from Norway,” government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil said, according to state-run news agency Bernama.

The decision was made at a Cabinet meeting Wednesday following a review of Norway’s revocation of an export license for the Naval Strike Missile (NSM), an anti-ship system intended for the Royal Malaysian Navy’s littoral combat ships (LCS).

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim criticized Oslo’s decision in May, warning that the cancellation could significantly undermine Malaysia’s defense readiness and have broader implications for regional security.

Norway reportedly justified the move on national security grounds, a rationale Anwar called “unilateral and unacceptable.”

Following the cancellation, Malaysia’s Defense Ministry served a notice of claim worth approximately 1 billion Malaysian ringgit ($245 million) on the defense company involved over the canceled contract.

Four countries have also been identified as potential suppliers of anti-ship missile systems for the LCS project.