Secretary of Defense Spokesperson LTC Dave Eastburn provided the following readout:
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan met today with Malaysian Minister of Defence Mohamad Sabu on the margins of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. The two leaders reaffirmed the strong and enduring defense ties between the United States and Malaysia. They reviewed the state of bilateral security cooperation, with a focus on shared priority areas of maritime security and countering terrorism and violent extremism. They also discussed the successful implementation of U.S. security assistance programs with Malaysia, such as the Maritime Security Initiative.
Acting Secretary Shanahan and Minister Mohamad had a wide-ranging discussion of the regional security environment, and agreed upon the need for greater information sharing to respond to rapidly changing threats in the region. Both leaders agreed that a strong U.S.-Malaysia defense relationship based on mutual respect, common values, and shared interests has an important role to play in promoting regional security and prosperity.