KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Army is strengthening its capabilities to counter non-conventional threats, including smuggling, intrusion, human trafficking, illegal logging and poaching.
Army Headquarters Strategic Transformation Director Col Ahmad Nirman Fariz Zakaria said such threats included the movement of illicit goods such as drugs and firearms, which could contribute to higher crime rates.
"The smuggling of subsidised and controlled goods, whether into or out of the country, causes leakages that result in losses to national revenue,” he said on Bernama TV’s Apa Khabar Malaysia programme on Wednesday (Aug 26).
He said that human trafficking along Malaysia’s borders also posed social and demographic security risks, while Sabah’s east coast faced maritime threats including piracy and kidnapping for ransom.
He said Malaysia also faced the theft of natural resources along the northern borders of the peninsula and in areas bordering Kalimantan, including encroachment into forest reserves, illegal logging and poaching that threatened the country’s flora and fauna.
"During the insurgency era, the Army focused on hunting communist terrorists who used dense forests and border areas to organise their movements and evade the security forces.
"Threats are constantly evolving, and the Army will continue adapting its capabilities to address them,” he said.
Ahmad Nirman said the Army conducted operations independently and jointly with the Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Air Force, other security agencies, as well as Indonesian and Thai security forces to safeguard the country’s borders.
Technology such as drones, sensors, tactical communications equipment and digital intelligence analysis had also expanded surveillance and monitoring capabilities along border areas, he said.
However, he stressed that personnel remained central to effective security operations, particularly given the challenging terrain and environment along Malaysia’s borders.
In conjunction with National Day, Ahmad Nirman urged Malaysians to be the government’s "eyes and ears” by supporting efforts to combat cross-border crime and strengthening cooperation with the Malaysian Armed Forces to safeguard the country’s sovereignty for future generations.
"Soldiers deployed along the borders face difficult terrain, extreme weather, remote locations, limited basic amenities and communications, while having to spend months away from their families.
"The public should therefore continue to support and appreciate their sacrifices in defending the country’s sovereignty,” he added.- Bernama
