Army chief shoots down ‘goose steps’ criticism

PETALING JAYA: There are no elements of communism in the “goose step”, says the Army chief.

Jen Tan Sri Zulkiple Kassim said the drill was simply a military march and the issue of it being tied to communism should not arise at all.

“That should not be the issue. Our current ‘steps’ are based on the British way, so what does that mean?

“We are currently only studying the appropriateness of the step. It is a type of march that showcases discipline, fitness and so on. Those are militaristic elements,” he said after closing the 37th Army Sports Championship at the Uniten Stadium in Bangi.

He added that the soldiers currently being trained, as part of their studies on marching steps, needed sufficient time to get it right.

“We need to train them properly. If not, people would say it looks ugly. The soldiers have been training for about two weeks,” he said.

The issue came to light recently after a video of the training went viral on social media.

While originating from Prussia, the marching step is commonly linked to the armies of Communist countries.

On another matter, the Army chief reminded the public not to wear military clothing as it is an offence.

While noting that the fashion trends do include military motifs, he emphasised that the public should refrain from using them.

“I ask that these clothing not be abused by the public. Maybe their reasoning is simply because it is the ‘fashion of the day’ but it is still an offence under the law.

“Even Askar Wataniah, who are issued military clothing, are only allowed to wear them on duty. They can’t wear them to the market and such,” he said.

The three-day 37th Army Sports Championship involved 10 officers and 351 rank-and-file soldiers from the Army, taking part in 22 sporting events.