KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Armed Forces is set to bring the Cyber Force online as its fourth service by 2030, as the military addresses evolving threats in the modern security landscape.
Armed Forces chief General Tan Sri Malek Razak Sulaiman said the move was prompted by cyberspace and the electromagnetic domain becoming arenas of competition and warfare on the global stage.
He said the Cyber Force Nucleus Team has been formed to spearhead planning, coordination, organisational transformation preparations, and capability development towards establishing the force.
The nucleus team is scheduled to be launched by the Defence Minister in conjunction with the Armed Forces Day Carnival 2026 at the Lumut naval base in Perak on Saturday (Sept 19).
"We looked at models from other countries that have already incorporated this domain into their services. This is a very urgent need and we cannot afford to be left behind," he said.
"This nucleus team will plan and explore how to turn the Cyber Force into a reality and have it fully operational based on the ministry's guidelines, to be realised by 2030," he said in an exclusive interview for the 93rd Armed Forces Day celebration.
Malek Razak added that the Armed Forces is also continuously developing expertise in the field of Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA) alongside establishing the Cyber Force.
He said cyber capabilities, electronic warfare and spectrum management operations have already been applied in practical terms to produce tangible operational effects through the Exercise Camar Kilat Series 2/26.
"This commitment is further strengthened through human capital, with 60 officers and 17 other ranks from the air force having attended CEMA-related courses as of July," he said.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin had previously said the ministry is drawing up plans for a Cyber Force as its fourth service to tackle modern and cognitive warfare threats.
Mohamed Khaled said the move was driven by the fact that present-day threats are no longer confined to traditional physical combat, but are increasingly shifting towards the domination of cyberspace and public perception. - Bernama
