Defence spending conundrum

The government needs to allocate a minimum 4% of GDP for military spending over the next decade or so to even get to a minimum level of deterrence capability that goes beyond dealing with low-level intensity threats on land, sea, air and cyberspace. — Photo: Bernama

LAST October, a well-known defence and security analyst, Professor Datuk Dr Hamzah Ahmad or better known as BA Hamzah, wrote a scathing article in an online news blog on the state of the Malaysian military, which he noted is South-East Asia’s weakest in terms of readiness, and in his words, “no longer a potent force even in managing low-level intensity conflict” following years of political interference in procurement spending, corruption and poor planning.

As a maritime nation with porous coasts, Malaysia needs modern equipment for its navy and air force to ensure security of the country’s territorial waters as well as enforce rights over natural resources of the wider exclusive economic zone beyond the immediate territorial sea.