KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 -- Malaysia will continue to strengthen its defence diplomacy, modernise its military fleet and develop homegrown defence capabilities under the National Defence Strategic Plan (PSPN) over the next five years.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the country will still continue upholding neutrality and non-alignment while implementing these measures.

Malaysia, he said, commands a strong "convening power" that allows the country to encourage constructive dialogues between parties with differing views.

This approach allows Malaysia to strengthen its credible deterrence factor and balance contesting influences in the region.

However, Mohamed Khaled stressed that Malaysia needs to develop a resilien...