Deputy defence minister Adly Zahari said to date, 48 veterans had been accepted to join AKPS under the first recruitment intake. Most of them have been stationed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and border entry points in Peninsular Malaysia.

“Armed forces veterans are still relatively young and possess the appropriate training to meet AKPS requirements, particularly in safeguarding the country’s entry points.

“We hope more veterans can be absorbed, including in Sabah and Sarawak. Our target is for up to 200 veterans to meet AKPS needs,” he told reporters after the Peduli Veteran Madani (PVM) 2026 roadshow in Daro.

Adly said the ministry is also strengthening welfare support for veterans through the PVM 2026 programme, which covers healthcare, housing, education and socio-economic assistance.

He said the programme is being expanded nationwide to ensure no veteran is left behind, especially those in rural and interior areas.

“Several weeks ago, we were in Kuching, and today in Daro. In this programme, we will visit 11 veterans and their families,” he said.

Adly said more than RM300 million had been allocated this year for veteran welfare, covering healthcare, housing and education.

He added that Sarawak has more than 11,000 armed forces veterans and praised the state government’s cooperation in supporting them through veterans’ associations.