KUALA LUMPUR: A rank insignia donning ceremony making Jeneral Datuk Azhan Md Othman the 31st Army Chief was held at Wisma Pertahanan here on Tuesday (Jan 6) morning.
It was officiated by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and witnessed by Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) acting chief Admiral Tan Sri Zulhelmy Ithnain.
Azhan was officially appointed to the post with effect from Jan 1, in line with the decision of the 631st Armed Forces Council meeting on Nov 19 and with the consent of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia on Dec 1.
In his speech, Azhan expressed his highest appreciation to Sultan Ibrahim and the government for the trust placed in him.
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"Integrity and transparent governance, as well as the inculcation of noble military values, will continue to be strengthened as the core of the leadership.
"This is in line with the Future Force initiative – the Land Domain Strategy, which supports the aspirations of the Defence White Paper," he said in a statement.
The welfare of Army personnel and their families will continue to be prioritised, he added.
He also called on all members of the Army to unite, strengthen cohesion and enhance performance to ensure that it continues to move forward as a professional, capable and trusted defence institution.
Azhan was born in Muar, Johor, on Sept 4, 1969, and began his military career as an officer cadet in Sungai Besi in 1987 before being commissioned as a Second Leftenan in the Royal Malay Regiment on July 29, 1989.
Throughout his service, he has held several key appointments, including Commanding Officer of the 24th Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment, Commander of the Army Ready Battalion, Commander of Malbatt 850-6 and Commander of the 2nd Infantry Division.
He has also served in various strategic staff appointments, including as Chief of Staff at the Armed Forces Headquarters, and has an academic background in strategic and defence studies, including a diploma in Strategic and Defence Studies from Universiti Malaya and studies at the French Joint Defence College (École de Guerre) at France's Military Academy.
