PM agrees with several proposals in Defence White Paper, says armed forces head
They are expected to be tabled in Parliament in October.
KUALA LUMPUR: Several proposals in the Defence White Paper have been consented to by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and are expected to be tabled in Parliament in October, said Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) chief General Zulkifli Zainal Abidin.
“We have discussed and carried out engagements with NGOs, defence industry players, academicians and several other ministries involved in the defence landscape in the country.
“In the Defence White Paper, there are eight chapters, and one of them involves the people and defence and that would allow us time to do town hall sessions in the future,” he said at a press conference after meeting with MAF personnel in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri at Wisma Pertahanan here.
In his speech at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition 2019 (Lima 2019) in March, Mahathir said the Defence White Paper was a significant contribution to the Malaysian defence landscape.
It provides a clear description of the role of every agency, organisation and people in the effort to maintain national security, besides all relevant agencies, including MAF and police, will have proper and clear guidelines on their respective roles and responsibilities.
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Meanwhile, Zulkifli said 15,000 MAF personnel would be on duty on Hari Raya Aidilfitri and will take turns to go on leave.