PETALING JAYA: The Defence Ministry has been summoned by the Finance Ministry for talks on operational expenditure, following the government’s temporary freeze on defence procurement.
Its minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said negotiations between the two ministries are ongoing, particularly on matters requiring immediate attention.
“This is because we do not want the operations and readiness of the armed forces to be affected,” he told reporters after launching the Railway Specialist Regiment’s 50th Rapid Rail Squadron.
He gave assurance that military operations are continuing smoothly and effectively despite the freeze.
On Jan 16, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ordered an immediate freeze on all military and police procurement decisions to restore integrity and ensure full compliance with procedures, following corruption allegations involving the armed forces.
Separately, Mohamed Khaled said police are still investigating the alleged leak of internal and confidential information related to the Armed Forces last month.
In his speech, he said the ministry plans to establish several specialist regiments in key strategic sectors, including petroleum and gas, healthcare, cybersecurity and media, to strengthen the Armed Forces’ ecosystem.
“There are critical sectors that we must safeguard and protect, including the oil sector, transport sectors such as ports, and the rail sector, which plays an important role in public mobility.
“These sectors are exposed to various threats. Whether in times of war or peace, incidents could occur without our knowledge,” Mohamed Khaled said.
He added that the country should aim for a comparable number of reserve personnel to achieve a one-to-one ratio with the regular force.
He said a strong reserve force would allow the country to avoid maintaining an excessively large standing force during peacetime, which would involve significantly higher costs.
