Under probe, Hafizuddeain abandons future as next defence chief

 

The past 60 days have been a whirlwind for seasoned military man Hafizuddeain Jantan.

On Nov 19, the 631st Armed Forces Council meeting chose to promote him from army chief to chief of defence force - the head of the armed forces. The decision was assented to just two weeks later, on Dec 1, by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

However, it all came crashing down in late December. A probe into alleged corruption in military procurements saw Hafizuddean put on leave and his promotion put on hold.

Then last week, the MACC arrested him and his two wives.

Amid the mounting scrutiny, the 58-year-old has chosen to abandon his future as the armed forces chief and is seeking an early retirement instead, two years before hitting mandatory retirement at 60.

Hafizuddeain, who is still under remand, had relayed the request through his lawyers, Defence Minister Khaled Nordin said today.

Khaled was quoted by Free Malaysia Today as saying that the decision was meant, in part, to allow the ministry to look for a new candidate to become the next chief of defence.

Seizures and questioning

The probe against Hafizuddeain was launched after Bersatu activist Badrul Hisham Shaharin, better known as Chegubard, lodged a police report in late December.

He had claimed to have received evidence of large transfers into the accounts of a senior military officer and his family, allegedly from companies involved in military procurement contracts.

Since then, the MACC has made several seizures, including 23 luxury watches - allegedly from one of Hafizuddeain's wives. Also seized in the probe so far were gold bars, a high-performance vehicle, and cash in various foreign currencies estimated to be worth RM6.9 million.

The MACC is also investigating 26 companies connected to the contracts procured since 2023. Hafizuddean was the deputy army chief from April to September 2023, before being promoted to army chief.

Bernama reported that the MACC has continued recording the statement of an unnamed senior armed forces officer from 10.10am to 5pm today, after a 13-hour session a day earlier.

MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki was quoted as saying that the investigation is expected to be concluded within a week. - Mkini