Kuala lumpur: The Defence Ministry (MINDEF) has emphasized that the participation of the Malaysian Defence Intelligence Organisation (MDIO) in joint intelligence exercises with Five Eyes countries does not undermine Malaysia's neutral foreign policy. Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari stated that Malaysia upholds balanced defence relations with major global powers and utilizes international exercises to bolster its military expertise. He remarked that as a neutral nation, Malaysia remains open to collaboration through both bilateral and multilateral exercises. These engagements with Five Eyes not only enhance the expertise of Malaysian personnel but also offer a crucial platform for understanding and operating advanced defence technology, much of which is sourced from developed countries.

Adly addressed a question from Mohamad Shafizan Kepli (GPS-Batang Lupar) regarding whether MDIO's cooperation with Five Eyes affects Malaysia's neutrality, especially concerning its relations with major powers like China. He clarified that the cooperation is conducted selectively within existing defence frameworks and aligns with the National Defence White Paper. The objective is to bolster expertise sharing, improve intelligence analysis capabilities, uphold professional standards, and provide exposure to international best practices.

MDIO participates in bilateral and multilateral exercises with Five Eyes countries, hosted by the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) headquarters. These include Cobra Gold and Bersama Warrior training with the US, Bersama Lima training with the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, and the Indo-Pacific Intelligence Chiefs Tabletop Exercise. Adly affirmed that this approach aims to enhance the skills and professionalism of MAF personnel while ensuring the nation's sovereignty, confidentiality, and security are safeguarded.