KUALA LUMPUR: Leftenan Jeneral Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman has been appointed the new Armed Forces chief effective today.
His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia, has consented to the promotion of Malek Razak to the rank of Jeneral and his appointment as the military head, said Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
New leader: Malek Razak (left); and Mohamed Khaled. — Photo courtesy of the Defence Ministry/Bernama
“The appointment was made in line with the recommendation of the 633rd (Special) Armed Forces Council meeting held on Jan 29 and subsequently received the consent of Sultan Ibrahim the following day.
“The new armed forces chief holds a diploma in strategic and security studies from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King’s College, London, and a Master of Social Science (defence studies) from UKM.
“He began his military career in 1985 as an overseas cadet officer at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in the United Kingdom, and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on Dec 11, 1987,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Over nearly four decades of service, he has demonstrated strong capability, excellence and leadership, Mohamed Khaled said.
“He was a platoon commander with the 21st Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment before serving in various units and holding numerous command and staff appointments.
“His last post prior to the appointment was Western Field Commander of the army,” he added.
Based on Malek Razak’s extensive experience, Mohamed Khaled said he was confident that the appointment will further strengthen the leadership and capabilities of the military in facing challenges, while restoring and reinforcing the force’s standing through leadership grounded in integrity and professionalism.
Speaking at an event at Kota Tinggi, Johor, Mohamed Khaled said the appointment came at a time when the Armed Forces is facing significant challenges. One of Malek Razak’s key priorities will be to restore the reputation of the Armed Forces.
The Kota Tinggi MP added that this could only be achieved through strong cooperation and understanding across all leadership levels within the Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces.
“Beyond ensuring operational readiness and the ability to carry out defence and security operations, there must also be a firm emphasis on integrity,” he said.
On the alleged misconduct involving the defence sector, Mohamed Khaled stressed that reforms will focus not only on individuals, but also on the system.
“This is not just about personnel. It is about improving the system and processes.”
Related to this, he said the ministry is moving towards strengthening governance through digitalisation, the use of artificial intelligence (AI), and the adoption of environmental, social and governance principles.
Among the measures being implemented is the establishment of a dedicated unit to handle complaints and oversight matters within the ministry and the Armed Forces.
Mohamed Khaled said digitalisation allows better monitoring of procurement activities at various levels, enabling authorities to detect irregularities such as repeated contract awards to the same companies.
“Through digitalisation, we can also identify companies that may be linked through common ownership, which helps improve transparency.”
He added that AI will be used to assess whether procurement prices are reasonable by comparing them with similar purchases made by other countries.
“AI can help determine whether prices are too high, whether items are suitable, and whether there are patterns of bias or unhealthy tendencies among officers responsible for procurement.”
While Mohamed Khaled acknowledged calls for the establishment of an independent body to monitor defence procurement, he reiterated that continuous improvements remain the ministry’s priority, with reforms being an ongoing process along with enhancement of governance and integrity measures.
The post of Armed Forces chief was left vacant since Jan 12 after former army chief Jeneral Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan opted for early retirement.
Both Muhammad Hafizuddeain and former Armed Forces chief Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar were prosecuted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission recently.
