KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) Volunteer Force has set a target of having 95,000 personnel, in line with the need to comprehensively strengthen the country's defence preparedness, says Defence Ministry secretary-general Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali.
He said this would involve 80,000 personnel for the Territorial Army (Askar Wataniah), 10,000 for the Royal Malaysian Navy Volunteer Reserve and 5,000 for the Royal Malaysian Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
He said the target needs to be seen in the context of implementing the Comprehensive Defence Pillars as outlined in the Defence White Paper, which emphasises the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches to strengthen the country's defence capabilities through the comprehensive involvement of the government and community machinery.
"As of Dec 31 last year, the Volunteer Force stood at 36,610 personnel, comprising 28,213 members of the Territorial Army, 5,419 in the Navy Volunteer Reserve and 2,978 in the Air Force Volunteer Reserve. This reflects their significant contribution in supporting the MAF's operational needs and preparedness," he said.
He said this at the 19th Malaysian Volunteer Force Support Committee (SPJP) Chairmen's Meeting at Wisma Perwira MAF here on Saturday (Jan 24).
Lokman Hakim said that to achieve the target, they would need a focused and integrated approach encompassing intake, training, welfare and resource support, with effective coordination among the Federal Government, state governments and stakeholders.
He said that although the Volunteer Force had recorded encouraging achievements, several major challenges, such as personnel recruitment and retention and mobilisation preparedness, needed to be tackled in a structured manner.
"In this matter, there is a significant potential to strengthen the Volunteer Force as a strategic support component that is resilient and responsive to current defence requirements," he said.
He said the government remains committed to providing holistic support to the Volunteer Force through benefits and facilities encompassing welfare, training, protection and recognition, which can also encourage participation.
The 19th Volunteer Force SPJP brings together 23 members, comprising chairmen of the State Support Committees or their representatives, and is being held for the first time since 2015, with the aim of renewing and strengthening the national coordination mechanism of the MAF Volunteer Force.
In addition, the meeting serves to coordinate joint initiatives, explore suitable incentives and optimise the sharing of resources between the Federal and state governments.
Also present were MAF Headquarters Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Datuk Seri Muhammad Huzaimi Sabri and Army Deputy Chief Lieutenant General Datuk Tengku Muhammad Fauzi Tengku Ibrahim. – Bernama
