Malaysia PM says Norway missile export halt 'unacceptable'

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Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has condemned Norway's decision to revoke the export license for a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system as ‘unilateral and unacceptable.’

In a phone call with his Norwegian counterpart, Jonas Gahr Stoere, on Thursday, Anwar expressed ‘vehement objection’ to the move, which came just days before the missiles were scheduled for delivery.

The deal, signed in 2018 with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, was intended to equip Malaysia's new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) fleet. Anwar emphasized that Malaysia has fulfilled all contractual obligations and warned that the cancellation would have ‘grave consequences’ for the nation's defense readiness and regional security.

He further questioned the reliability of European defense suppliers, stating that "signed contracts are solemn instruments" and should not be treated like ‘confetti.’