KUALA LUMPUR: The country is stepping up efforts to enhance its cyber and digital defence capabilities with the development of a Cyber and Electromagnetic Command (PSEP), says Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.
The Defence Minister said the PSEP will be developed alongside initiatives to strengthen intelligence integration and human capital.
"It will focus on building high-quality talent through professional military education, ensuring the Armed Forces are equipped with the necessary expertise to clunter evolving threats in the digital domain," he said in his keynote address at a Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) forum on Thursday (April 23).
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He said efforts are also underway to align PSEP with the Malaysian Defence Intelligence Organisation (MDIO), creating a real-time, data-driven intelligence ecosystem.
"This integration is expected to enhance information superiority and operational effectiveness, particularly in asymmetric warfare scenarios," he added.
In a move to widen participation in national defence, the government is also establishing a Cyber Security and Geospatial Specialist Regiment under the Territorial Army, Khaled said.
"The initiative aims to encourage skilled youths and professionals to contribute their expertise in strengthening the nation’s cyber resilience.
"At the policy level, the recently launched National Defence Industry Policy seeks to drive local innovation in cyber and digital technologies, positioning Malaysia as a competitive player in the defence technology landscape," he said.
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Khaled said the Defence Ministry is using various platforms to advance its drone, satellite and radar system capabilities, among other areas.
"In addition, the country’s critical mineral resources are seen as offering long-term potential within the global digital supply chain, further supporting its ambitions in the cyber and digital defence sector.
"Amid increasingly complex and sophisticated cyber threats, we are aware of the importance of maintaining consistent and proactive readiness across all sectors of society, not just within the Armed Forces," he said.
He said the ministry is also looking at various universities to set up the Defence Ministry Centre of Excellence in rockets, missiles, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
"If UPNM is ready, we can set up a centre of excellence (there) for AI as well as cybersecurity," he said.
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Khaled said warfare today often begins not with physical attacks but with digital disruptions, information manipulation and the weaponisation of AI.
"These borderless attacks can destabilise societies without warning.
"Therefore, Malaysia cannot remain idle; we must adapt," he added.
Khaled said the future of warfare is increasingly asymmetric.
"Power is now defined by adaptability and innovation. True national defence combines advanced technology with human judgment.
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"AI and cyber technologies are inevitable in modern warfare, levelling the playing field and allowing smaller nations like Malaysia to defend their sovereignty through strategy rather than just firepower," he said.
He stressed that the military is transforming into a joint, network-centric, integrated, multi-domain Future Force through the Defence White Paper.
"By 2030, we aim to fully integrate our concepts, systems and operations (to) enable every component to operate as one unified, effective force," he added.
