As we mark 65 years of Malaysia-India ties, a more sobering assessment of bilateral relations is long overdue.
While diplomatic ties between both countries are upbeat once more, this coincides with Malaysia's change in government and pandemic-induced exigencies.
So, where does the Putrajaya-New Delhi relationship currently stand?
Besides having elevated relations to an enhanced strategic partnership in 2015, Malaysia recently became India's 13th largest trading partner and the latter consistently figures among Malaysia's 10 largest trading partners.
Being Asean's dialogue partner for three decades now, New Delhi also engages Putrajaya through the summit and working levels.
However, it must be stressed that these do not reflect the true state of relations or the actual potential of a six-and-a-half-decade partnership.
In recent years, Malaysia-India ties have been impacted by rhetoric, prejudice, domestic politics, non-state actors and geopolitical forces which are challenging to address.
The respective political contexts and narratives of Putrajaya and New Delhi on the extradition of Indian televangelist Zakir Naik, for example, are like the contents of Pandora's box.
But currently, the focus is on resuscitating bilateral relations.
On one end, that relationship is impacted by domestic or national issues; the other end that is connected to geopolitics is equally complex.
Like most Southeast Asian countries, Malaysia has its own challenges navigating relations with China's strategic competitors. Whether it is on India's Indo-Pacific Oceans initiative or even the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, Putrajaya is careful with its posturing, maintaining an independent foreign policy approach.
However, its attempt at a balanced approach could limit opportunities to deepen strategic cooperation with New Delhi.
What is the way forward?
How can these challenges be addressed?
For starters, through diplomacy and dialogue.
Policymakers in Putrajaya and New Delhi already recognise the importance of structured and enhanced dialogue in getting relations back on track.
In April this year, the 5th Foreign Office Consultations were held in Putrajaya.
Both parties reviewed an entire gamut of bilateral relations and expressed optimism about a "faster revival of ties in the post-Covid 19 period".
However, dialogue cannot take place only at ministerial levels.
As relations are also influenced by people-led movements, psychosocial factors and sentiments through a permanent bottom-up mechanism, that dialogue also should not be "elitist".
This is an opportunity to include regular Track 1.5 dialogues with Indian and Malaysian think tanks. New Delhi and Putrajaya should also support consistent Track 2 dialogues that include diverse groups and organisations from both countries.
This will deepen people-to-people ties and provide a durable platform for frank discussions, which will ensure a greater understanding of individual positions on contentious issues.
On a higher bilateral level in the current geopolitical context, there must be a mutual and conscious effort at trust-building bolstered by greater economic and non-traditional security interdependence.
Putrajaya and New Delhi must understand each other's national interests and priorities and work in niche areas indigenous to the relationship.
This could range from partnerships to advance industries that rely on shared cultural practices, or addressing shared challenges such as food insecurity.
An enhanced Malaysia-India strategic partnership is an important tool that can be utilised to improve bilateral ties.
But considering the shifting global and geopolitical contexts, it is time to review this framework and introduce initiatives and mechanisms that reflect current realities and priorities.
Committing to regular Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogues formally through the enhanced strategic partnership would be valuable.
It is also equally important to divest from initiatives that cannot be realised or are no longer relevant.
Streamlining cooperation will help manage expectations, which will support the trust-building process.
As we chart the way forward for the Malaysia-India partnership, it is important to realise that "time-tested" doesn't mean "stagnant". For Malaysia-India relations, diplomacy, dialogue and deeper people-to-people ties are the way forward.
Clear intent, and political will awill support these endeavours.
The writer is a researcher at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times