PETALING JAYA: The Defence Ministry will establish specialist regiments in key strategic sectors, including oil and gas, healthcare, cybersecurity, and the media to strengthen the Armed Forces ecosystem, says Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
Khaled said these sectors were identified as areas requiring expert participation to enhance national defence preparedness.
He also said the move is part of broader efforts to build and strengthen the reserve branch of the Armed Forces to more effectively complement the regular force.
"In the past, our Territorial Army (Askar Wataniah) comprised individuals from various backgrounds and was not specialised in any particular field.
"Today, however, there are critical sectors that we must safeguard and protect, including oil and gas, transport such as ports, and rail, which plays an important role in public mobility.
"These sectors are exposed to various threats. Whether in times of war or even in peacetime, incidents could occur without our knowledge," he said at the launch of the 50th Railway Specialist Regiment Rapid Rail Squadron here on Monday (Feb 16).
The squadron will provide specialised support in rail operations, maintenance, protection and emergency response, particularly during crises, disasters or major service disruptions.
Meanwhile, Khaled said the country should aim for a comparable number of reserve personnel to achieve a one-to-one ratio with the regular force.
He added that a strong reserve force would allow the country to avoid maintaining an excessively large standing force during peacetime, which would involve significantly higher costs.
"The government’s approach to ensuring defence needs are met without incurring excessive expenditure is through the establishment and strengthening of the reserve force.
"This is our goal to ensure that the nation’s defence capability remains at a high level of readiness in facing any eventuality," he said.
