KUALA LUMPUR – The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah today conveyed greetings to all members of the Malaysian Army, veterans as well as others who had served the military branch in conjunction with the Malaysian Army 88th anniversary today.
Istana Negara, in a statement uploaded via its Facebook account, stated that His Majesty also expressed his deep appreciation to the members of the army, especially those in the front line for the sacrifices made in helping the government curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sultan Abdullah also expressed the highest appreciation to the families of army officers and personnel who had been killed while on duty.
As the Supreme Commander of the Malaysian Armed Forces, His Majesty also commended and expressed deep appreciation for the services and sacrifices made by all present and former army personnel in protecting the country’s sovereignty and security.
“I pray that the Malaysian Army continues to be a respected force at the international stage,” he said.
The Sultan of Kedah Sultan Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah also congratulated the Malaysian Army in conjunction with the 88th Army Day.
The Kedah Sultan who is also the Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Malay Regiment and the Royal Service Corp also expressed his pride over the role played by the Army, the backbone of the nation’s sovereignty, in managing and ensuring the country’s security.
“I congratulate the Malaysian Army’s international involvement with peacekeeping missions, observer missions, and humanitarian aid missions under the United Nations (UN),” he said in a statement issued by Istana Anak Bukit here today.
Sultan Sallehuddin said the current COVID-19 pandemic has made the Army’s tasks more challenging as they must face an invisible enemy.
His Royal Highness said Army personnel are also involved in various operations as the frontliners to assist and coordinate efforts by other security forces to monitor compliance with the standard operating procedures set to curb the pandemic.
“May Allah S.W.T protect the well-being of the Malaysian Army so that they can continue to serve with devotion, for the sake of religion, race, and country,” read the statement.
Discipline remains core
In celebrating its 88th anniversary, discipline remains the core of the Malaysian Army’s identity in facing various challenges in safeguarding the country’s interests and sovereignty.
Throughout the period, various challenges were encountered, and they included in terms of planning for replacement of assets and acquisition of new high-tech assets to make the Malaysian Army a credible and relevant force.
Army Commander General Tan Sri Zamrose Mohd Zain said there were also challenges in relations to the adaptation of army personnel in the complex environment, thus ensuring the team’s fighting spirit is not affected.
“The Malaysian Army personnel are currently in a very challenging social environment. Negative environment, if not curbed through comprehensive action by the organisation, will cause losses to human resources and in turn will affect the fighting spirit of the Malaysian Army.
“Outside attraction and negative influences make it difficult for the organisation to build and maintain the identity of its members … (but) as you know, the core of the soldiers’ discipline is good identity,” he said in an exclusive interview in conjunction with the 88th Army Day at Kem Perdana Sungai Besi here.
Plans drawned up
Zamrose said various plans had been drawn up since he took over the helm of the Malaysian Army in June last year, with the five pillars (5T), namely readiness and mission continuity; strengthening organisational integrity; safeguarding the well-being of Army personnel; strengthening defence relations and enhancing civil-military relations used as the main guide.
“To date, the action plans that were drawn up have begun to show positive achievements, despite us still facing various challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world since the beginning of last year,” he added.
Recalling the army’s achievements in 2020, Zamrose said they managed to continue with the restructuring of the Malaysian Army holistically to enhance its asset capacity and human resources in the Army Field Command East (Sabah and Sarawak).
In line with efforts to enhance its capabilities, several acquisitions of new assets have also been carried out, including the acquisition of the 8 X 8 Gempita Armoured Car and the 105MM Cannon.
Other successes included in the aspect of operations, administration and logistics, he added.
Zamrose said among the organisation’s other achievements was the effectiveness of operations conducted in helping the government to manage disasters.
He said the team was also directly involved in controlling the spread of COVID-19 through Op Benteng and in assisting flood victims through cooperation with other authorities in Op Penawar and Op Murni.
In ensuring the morale and welfare of army personnel, the comfort of the Armed Forces Family Home and technical buildings is enhanced through welfare initiatives carried out by the organisation.
The Malaysian Army has also intensified welfare visits and provides better opportunities for promotion to its members, he added.
