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MUAR: The signing of the KL Peace Accord between Thailand and Cambodia highlights Malaysia’s maturity in practising soft diplomacy.
Chief of Defence Forces Gen Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar said Malaysia has received global recognition for its role in promoting regional stability, made possible through the efforts of the Malaysian Armed Forces, the Foreign Ministry, and relevant agencies.
"This soft yet effective form of defence diplomacy led to a landmark agreement between Thailand and Cambodia.
"It reflects not only the strong regional cooperation but also affirms Malaysia’s capability to employ soft diplomacy and play a vital role in advancing peace and maintaining the balance of power in Southeast Asia,” he said on Tuesday (Oct 28).
Mohd Nizam added that Malaysia would pursue enhanced areas of defence cooperation among Asean member states following the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
"These include strengthening confidence-building measures to foster trust among nations, setting up an Asean cybersecurity intelligence unit and holding more frequent joint military exercises.
"Greater engagement between countries and their armed forces will also promote confidence and transparency, which in turn helps to resolve both visible and underlying issues,” he said.
On the two-day programme, Mohd Nizam said the Malaysian Armed Forces would adopt more schools under the Jiwa Murni-themed initiative.
"We want to strengthen collaboration between the Armed Forces and schools to bridge generational understanding and instil a sense of responsibility towards the nation.
“This programme provides an excellent opportunity to do that,” he said.
The programme’s highlights included the launch of the school’s Green Room Studio, a special podcast session, and the symbolic handover of a Robotics Set to the school principal as a sign of the MAF’s support for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. – Bernama
