Defence white paper: 'Mid-term review takes into account all views'

 

PARLIAMENT | The mid-term review of the Defence White Paper launched last February will consider the views of all parties in its engagement sessions to ensure that all planned aspirations are implemented effectively.

Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari said this included obtaining views and input from institutions such as the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia.

"During the engagement sessions, all views will be taken into consideration before we table the study results in the Parliament, including bringing it to the committee stage," Adly (above) said when replying to a question from Oscar Ling Chai Yew (Harapan-Sibu) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

In response to Ling's original question regarding the steps taken under the mid-term review from 2019 to 2023, Adly said the government had made several asset acquisitions to enhance the capabilities of the Malaysian Armed Forces based on 10 outlined priorities.

These include the acquisition of new assets such as Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Medium Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Systems, Light Combat Aircraft, and Littoral Mission Ship Batch 2 (LMSB2) under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), while the acquisition of other assets will be carried out under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).

In addition, the ministry and the MAF will enhance public awareness of comprehensive defence through continuous civil-military cooperation activities throughout the implementation period of the mid-term review, including strengthening community-based programmes.

Adly said they were also strengthening existing ties and establishing new partnerships with other countries in the Southeast Asian region, beyond the region, and worldwide, including the United States, Australia, China, Japan, Germany, South Korea, and Vietnam.

"In the near future, the ministry will focus its efforts on further strengthening cooperation within Asean, the Five Power Defence Arrangements, and sub-regional initiatives such as the Malacca Straits Ptrol and the Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement," he added.

- Bernama