At the helm: Jen Malek Razak placing the Armed Forces flag into a holder, a symbolic gesture of him reporting for duty at Wisma Pertahanan as the 24th Armed Forces chief. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Newly appointed Armed Forces Chief Jeneral Datuk Malek Razak Sulaiman has made a “total clean-up” of the military a priority.
Declaring a zero-tolerance stance, he said the military would not compromise on any breaches involving governance, human resource management, financial administration or procurement.
“This is my promise, and the promise of all the commanders standing behind me,” Jen Malek Razak told reporters after reporting for duty as the 24th Armed Forces Chief at Wisma Pertahanan yesterday.
Pledging a comprehensive clean-up of governance, integrity and financial management, he described recent controversies as a “wake-up call” for the military.
“My appointment (as the Armed Forces Chief) is an honour and a heavy responsibility.
“I stand here today to shoulder the responsibility of commanding all three services – the Army, Navy and Air Force – under the command of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces,” he said.
Jen Malek Razak added that he had an audience with Sultan Ibrahim earlier in the day during which several key matters were emphasised, including leadership by example, integrity in service, management and governance, as well as the need to uphold strict discipline within the Armed Forces.
“His Majesty also stressed the importance of safeguarding the welfare of personnel and restoring morale that has been affected by recent developments.
“These are among the key matters that I will carry together with the service chiefs as we move forward in carrying out our duty to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty,” he said.
Addressing current issues involving the military, the 24th Armed Forces Chief acknowledged public concern, noting that the rakyat were among the biggest stakeholders in national security.
He said action had already been taken by the ministry over the past month, and expressed appreciation to the Defence Minister for outlining strategic priorities and action plans for this year to address the issues.
“We respect the rule of law. Those involved have been brought to court, and we leave the matter to the legal process,” he said, adding that the Armed Forces would continue to cooperate fully and transparently with all relevant agencies to restore public trust.
On whether recent controversies had given him second thoughts about accepting the post, the Armed Forces Chief said the appointment was not a matter of choice.
“Once the Armed Forces Council convened and the appointment was consented by Sultan Ibrahim, it became a command and an amanah (duty). As a soldier, loyalty is paramount,” he said.
Drawing on his nearly 40 years of experience, Jen Malek Razak expressed confidence that the Armed Forces would be able to regain public confidence and emerge stronger.
He also acknowledged that the temporary freeze on operational expenditure had affected day-to-day operations, including logistics, movement of personnel and routine activities, warning that prolonged restrictions could impact readiness.
However, he said discussions were ongoing at the highest levels, and he was hopeful that critical operational expenditure would be released soon to ensure continued preparedness.
“The military is a resilient organisation. This is the time for us to bounce back,” he said, adding that a detailed action plan would be outlined in his forthcoming address.
“We will move forward together, correct our weaknesses and continue our journey towards building a future-ready Armed Forces that remains trusted by the people,” he said.
