Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attends the Special Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu province, Philippines, Thursday, May 7, 2026. (Rolex Dela Pena/Pool Photo via AP)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday condemned Norway’s move to revoke the export license for a naval missile system for Malaysia’s navy, warning it could damage confidence in European defense suppliers.
Anwar said he raised Malaysia’s “vehement objection” during a phone call with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, after Oslo blocked delivery of the Naval Strike Missile system and launcher components intended for Malaysia’s littoral combat ship program.
“Malaysia has honored every obligation under this contract since 2018: scrupulously, faithfully and without equivocation,” Anwar said in a statement. “Norway, it appears, has not felt compelled to extend us the same courtesy and demonstration of good faith.”
The missile manufacturer, Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace AS, said export licensing decisions are handled entirely by Norwegian authorities, according to Malaysian national news agency Bernama.
