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Kolette Lim

Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin slammed the international community’s “muted” response on Sunday at a security forum over Norway’s decision to scrap a missile deal with Kuala Lumpur.
In a charged speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Khaled said the “deafening silence” on Oslo’s cancellation of the agreement sent a message that certain countries were “simply above scrutiny”, questioning if global rules were subject to the will of bigger powers.
Earlier this month, the Scandinavian country stopped Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) from completing the delivery of Naval Strike Missiles to Malaysia.
Malaysia said it had already paid 95 per cent of the contract, valued at US$146.4 million, for the weapons systems meant to equip its littoral combat ship fleet.
Khaled said developing nations faced condemnation and pressure when violating agreements, but when powerful countries or their allies did the same, the international response became “conspicuously muted”.
He said international frameworks were now being disregarded and “selectively interpreted” when they did not align with geopolitical interests.
“This blatant hypocrisy is profoundly destructive to the legitimacy and credibility of the rules-based international order,” he said.
Oslo’s move also sparked a diplomatic row, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim criticising it as a “unilateral and unacceptable” step. Kuala Lumpur is now seeking more than 1 billion ringgit (US$251.5 million) in damages from KDA over the revocation of a contract signed in 2018.
Norway defended its decision, saying it was limiting “exports of some of the most sensitive Norwegian-developed defence technologies” to its “allies and closest partners”.

Khaled said the contract’s axing raised a “deeply troubling question” about whether international agreements could be trusted if even a nation “well known for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize could abandon commitment without consequences”.
He said international relations were no longer governed by principles, but by “personal wills and whims”. “That is an extremely dangerous trajectory for the international system, especially if it involves big powers.”
Earlier, a report said that the sales of missiles, which contained American-made components, might have been blocked due to Washington’s export restrictions. But the US rejected the claims, saying it had no role in Norway’s decision.
Khaled on Saturday said the incident was a “very good lesson”, noting that Malaysia would continue to welcome partners to help the development of its military capabilities albeit with more caution.
“Surely, we will deal with those we trust … We cannot rely on those that are not sincere,” he said. He previously said that Malaysia would no longer buy defence-related products from Norway after this episode.


Asean observer Vu Lam said the international community was likely staying silent as most states reserved a similar right to revoke export licences.
“Calling Norway out would undermine their own discretion,” Vu said, adding that the country “framed it as a regulatory matter rather than a broken promise, which gave everyone an easy reason not to comment”.
The spotlight on US export rules could also have influenced their reluctance, as they would not want to risk implicitly criticising Washington, he said.
Vu called Khaled’s decision to raise the issue at the conference a “deliberate” move to reach Norway, as well as potential alternative suppliers and non-aligned buyers.
“It may just amplify a bilateral grievance to a broader cautionary story about Western supplier reliability,” he said.
Bridget Welsh, a political analyst specialising in Southeast Asia, said the spotlight on defence contracts, which were typically not widely discussed, would likely be amplified.
Malaysia’s experience over the Norwegian deal was an “illustrative” one, she said. “The broader issue is that smaller countries can be caught off guard in this era of geopolitical unpredictability.”
Khaled also said that Asean states were being squeezed by growing superpower rivalries, urging cooperation between middle powers to restore international order and frameworks.
“Smaller nations did not create many of the crises the world faces today, but we are forced to bear the consequences of decisions made by powerful states, which often disregard the principles they champion,” he said.
Countries engaging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should respect the 11-member bloc’s norms, strategic sensitivities and mechanisms, he added.
The United States had “every right” to request its allies to raise defence expenditure, said Khaled, who highlighted Malaysia’s constraints in reaching that goal.

Addressing the conclave on Saturday, US defence chief Pete Hegseth called for Washington’s allies to increase their military spending to 3.5 per cent of their gross domestic product.
“For a country like Malaysia, we are a small country, we are a developing country, not a developed country,” said Khaled, adding that Kuala Lumpur needed to develop other sectors or risk instability.
When asked about Malaysia’s stance on China, as Beijing attempts to access the Indian Ocean via Myanmar, Khaled said the government maintained a policy of non-interference.
“We just want to make sure that the security of the Strait of Malacca is protected,” he said.
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi ‌and his Dutch counterpart Dilan Yeşilgoz-Zegerius were asked if they agreed with Khaled’s statement that there was a selective application of international law.
While Koizumi did not address the question, Yeşilgoz-Zegerius said adherence to international law was crucial, citing the Russia-Ukraine war.
“It is very important that together we make sure that Russia does not win. That is not only very important for our continent, I think [also] for the whole world,” she said.
“It’s also a clear signal that brutal aggression and an unjust war [in which] Putin cannot prevail. I think that’s very key for Putin and all others who are seeking conflict in that.”


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Malaysia blasts ‘conspicuously muted’ response over axed Norway missile deal

The Naval Strike Missiles produced by a Norwegian company are meant for the Malaysian navy’s littoral combat ships. Photo: Kongsberg


Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Sunday. Photo: Reuters

Visitors gather next to a display of a Naval Strike Missile made by Kongsberg at the 2014 Euronaval show in France. Photo: AP

Malaysia’s Defence Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin (right) with his Dutch counterpart Dilan Yeşilgoz-Zegerius at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday. Photo: AFP

17 nations launch pact to protect vital undersea cables amid US, China absence

Singapore’s Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing (centre) with representatives from 16 partner countries during the launch of the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges at the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday. Photo: Singapore’s Ministry of Defence

Singapore’s Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing speaks at the launch of the Guide during the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday. Photo: Singapore’s Ministry of Defence

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday. Marles warns the seabed has become a “battlefield”. Photo: Reuters

An underwater cable on the seabed is seen in this illustration. Recent incidents have highlighted the growing vulnerability of submarine cable infrastructure. Photo: Shutterstock

US denies role in Norway’s cancelled missile sale to Malaysia

Visitors gather next to a display of an NSM Naval Strike Missile made by Norwegian company Kongsberg, at the Euronaval show, in Le Bourget, France in 2014. Photo: AP

Malaysia’s Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on October 31, 2025. Photo: Reuters

US senator warns of Indo-Pacific risks as Hegseth stresses ‘quiet’ tactics

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth attends the Shangri-La Dialogue forum in Singapore on Saturday. Photo: EPA

US Senator Tammy Duckworth at the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore on Saturday. Photo: AFP

A Japanese surface-to-ship missile launcher fires during the Balikatan drills in the Philippines last month. Photo: Reuters

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Defence Minister Khaled told the Shangri-La Dialogue that Oslo’s move was ‘destructive’ to the credibility of the rules-based global order


Defence Minister Khaled told the Shangri-La Dialogue that Oslo’s move was ‘destructive’ to the credibility of the rules-based global order.


Malaysia blasts ‘conspicuously muted’ response over axed Norway missile deal

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Defence Minister Khaled told the Shangri-La Dialogue that Oslo’s move was ‘destructive’ to the credibility of the rules-based global order

Defence Minister Khaled told the Shangri-La Dialogue that Oslo’s move was ‘destructive’ to the credibility of the rules-based global order