KUALA LUMPUR: Former Army Chief Jeneral Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan, who is under investigation by graft busters, has submitted a letter seeking early retirement effective Jan 1, says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Defence Minister said Muhammad Hafizuddeain submitted the letter through his lawyers yesterday.
“He has submitted the letter to retire early from the army to allow us to begin the process of finding a new Armed Forces Chief,” he told reporters after his New Year address.
Earlier, the Armed Forces Council had postponed its decision to appoint Muhammad Hafizuddeain as the Armed Forces Chief.
He was directed to go on leave to allow authorities to conduct investigations into allegations linked to him.
Muhammad Hafizuddeain and his two wives were remanded in connection with investigations into the cartel linked to procurement tenders for the army.
Mohamed Khaled said with Muhammad Hafizuddeain’s decision to retire early, the post of Armed Forces Chief is vacant.
“Once the Armed Forces Council has chosen a candidate, then the name will be brought to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, for consent.”
On another matter, the minister said investigations into alleged immoral activities that went viral on social media recently were nearing completion.
“We are currently investigating 21 Air Force officers, looking into violations such as bringing alcohol on premises.
“These matters are clearly governed by regulations, and any breach may result in the maximum punishment, which is dismissal from service,” he said.
Stating that the matter involved a small number of personnel and not a long-standing culture within the armed forces, Mohamed Khaled expressed disappointment over public reactions, suggesting that such incidents reflected entrenched practices in the Armed Forces.
