The Defence Ministry (Mindef) has been ordered to immediately halt all new procurement of defence equipment and materiel from Norway following Oslo’s decision to revoke an export licence for Malaysia’s Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system.
Government spokesperson Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the Cabinet made the decision after discussing Norway’s move to cancel the export licence for the NSM system and its associated launcher systems.
However, it remains unclear whether the suspension will only affect future purchases or extend to existing contracts involving Norwegian suppliers.
The move follows criticism from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over Norway’s decision, which he described as reflecting “Western double standards”.
In May, the Norwegian government revoked the export licence for the NSM system ordered by Malaysia under a 2018 agreement, citing a policy shift to restrict defence technology exports to “allies and closest partners”, including NATO members.
The cancellation affected the Royal Malaysian Navy’s littoral combat ship programme, which was set to be equipped with the NSM surface-to-surface missile system.
Malaysia has since issued a notice of demand to Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace seeking RM1.06 billion in compensation over the cancelled deal.
