As part of its operational deployment to the South China Sea and the wider Indo-Pacific region, the Indian Navy’s indigenously built stealth frigate INS Sahyadri made a port call at Kemaman, Malaysia, on Thursday. The ship was warmly welcomed by the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), underscoring the growing maritime cooperation and shared seafaring heritage between the two nations.
Commissioned in 2012, INS Sahyadri is the third ship of the Shivalik-class guided missile stealth frigates, designed and built in India under the country’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative. The vessel has participated in numerous bilateral and multilateral exercises and operational deployments, symbolising India’s expanding naval reach and commitment to regional stability.
This marks INS Sahyadri’s third visit to Malaysia, following its goodwill visit to Port Klang in 2016 and participation in Exercise Samudra Laksamana at Kota Kinabalu in 2019. The current visit aims to enhance operational interoperability and deepen maritime cooperation between the Indian Navy and the RMN.
During the three-day stay, the ship’s Commanding Officer paid courtesy calls on senior Royal Malaysian Navy officials, including First Admiral Abd Halim bin Kamarudin, Deputy Commander Naval Region. The visit also featured professional exchanges, cross-training activities, sports fixtures, and cultural engagements between personnel of both navies.
Reflecting India’s tradition of people-to-people diplomacy, the ship’s crew conducted a yoga session and a charity event, reinforcing the Navy’s ethos of wellness, compassion, and friendship.
India and Malaysia share longstanding cultural, economic, and strategic ties rooted in centuries of maritime connectivity. With the Indo-Pacific emerging as a key arena of global engagement, both nations are aligned in promoting regional security and prosperity through initiatives like India’s MAHASAGAR framework and Malaysia’s commitment to ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
Naval cooperation between the two countries continues to grow through engagements such as the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA), the MILAN multilateral exercise, and the Samudra Laksamana series of field training exercises. The 2024 edition of Samudra Laksamana further cemented their shared resolve to ensure peace, stability, and freedom of navigation in the region.
INS Sahyadri’s visit to Kemaman reaffirms India’s role as a responsible maritime partner and reflects the deepening strategic trust and operational synergy between India and Malaysia in the Indo-Pacific.