India – Malaysia Meeting held on Cooperation in field of Public Administration & Governance Reforms

The 2nd India–Malaysia Joint Working Group (JWG) Meeting on ‘Cooperation in the Field of Public Administration and Governance Reforms’ was held on 18.08.2026. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), and Mr. Datuk Dr. Mohd Bakhari bin Ismail, Deputy Director General of Public Service (Development), Malaysia. Senior officials from DARPG, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) including HCI, Kuala Lumpur and National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) participated in the meeting from the Indian side.

Welcoming the Malaysian delegation, Puneet Yadav highlighted the long-standing and multifaceted relationship between India and Malaysia, rooted in strong people-to-people ties, shared values and mutual interests. He noted that the bilateral relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in August 2024 and that the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Malaysia in February 2026 provided further impetus to bilateral cooperation.

The present capacity-building cooperation under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme was discussed. The Malaysian side shared positive feedback on the academic modules, institutional and field visits, programme coordination and hospitality extended to participants. The proposed capacity-building programmes for 2026 and 2027 cohorts were also discussed. The Malaysian side welcomed the proposal to explore specialized programmes for senior Malaysian officials.

The Malaysian side presented the Action plan for the Malaysia-India Governance Partnership: 2027-2029 Strategic Roadmap was discussed thereby laying the Governance & Implementation Framework and creating a three-year roadmap for implementation of areas under the MoU.

The Malaysian side appreciated the support extended by DARPG, NCGG and the High Commission of India. Both sides welcomed the exchange of experiences and best practices and agreed to identify concrete, practical and outcome-oriented areas of cooperation. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen institutional engagement, knowledge sharing and capacity building, with the objective of strengthening public institutions, improving public service delivery and enhancing citizen experience. (updated on 18th August 2026)